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Crime & Safety

Fire Razes Brighton Township Home

Hartland firefighters help respond to blaze that tore through 3,000-square-foot ranch on Tuesday.

The cause of a fire that gutted a Brighton Township home on Tuesday is still under investigation, according to Brighton Fire Marshal Mike O'Brian.

The Brighton Area Fire Department responded to a 911 call a little after 2 p.m. from an off-duty firefighter who spotted thick black smoke near Hyne Road and US-23, according to O'Brian.

On route to the scene, Brighton firefighters saw the smoke and immediately requested assistance from the .

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“When you see that much black smoke, you know that there is a serious fire,” said O'Brian.

When firefighters arrived on scene at 1310 Waterside Lane, they were met with a 3,000-square-foot ranch home with its first floor entirely engulfed in flames. O'Brian said it took around three hours to tame the fire that caused significant damage to the home.

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“The entire first floor was collapsed, which made the search for hot spots a little difficult,” O'Brian said.

No one was in the home at the time of the fire, O'Brian said, though one firefighter suffered minor injuries fighting the flames.

Firefighters had to trudge through nine inches of freshly-fallen snow to get to the home.

“The snow made it a little cumbersome for our guys, but it didn't affect them too much,” O'Brian said.

The real challenge came from the lack of fire hydrants in the area, O'Brian said. With help from surrounding fire departments — including, Hartland, Green Oak Township, Lyon Township and Milford — around seven tankers provided water to help put out the blaze, O'Brian said.

The family has not yet gone into the home to see if anything is salvageable, O'Brian said. Three people lived in the home, and there were no young children, O'Brian said.

Many fires in the winter are caused by heating appliances, such as space heaters, that are often ill-maintained, O'Brian said, though he did not imply that it was the cause of the fire.

“From a prevention point of view, we recommend that every home has a residential sprinkler system, as well as smoke detectors in every room. Stuff is replaceable, and though you might lose some memories, we don't want any lives lost,” O'Brian said.

He also suggests that residents properly maintain their chimneys, and carefully dispose of ashes from their fireplaces outside the home. For those with gas fireplaces, he suggests having carbon monoxide detectors in the home as well.

In an effort to keep its residents safe, the Brighton Area Fire Department will send firefighters go to any residence without a single working smoke detector, and will provide and install a smoke detector free of charge.

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