UPDATE: Coldwater Township couple escape Thursday early morning fire that heavily damaged their home

It was a close call early today for a Branch County couple but they managed to escape a fire that damaged their two story home and destroyed an attached three car garage at the Joe Snyder residence in Coldwater Township. The alarm came in around 2:30 this morning from 617 Marshall Road with 911 being told that the garage was on fire. The blaze quickly spread to the house and the Snyder’s alerted Central Dispatch they were having trouble getting out.  When Coldwater firefighters arrived at the location north of Newton Road, they didn’t know for sure whether anyone needed to be rescued, but they were able to locate the couple and used a thermal imaging camera to search the structure and found no one left inside. It took a little over an hour to bring the fire under control. The fire was kept out of the living areas and damage was limited to siding/soffit areas of the main part of the house. Two vehicles were a total loss. The cause of the fire was from a heat lamp and blanket being used in the garage area. The Quincy Fire Department provided a tanker truck to help put out the flames. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department Victim Services Unit aided the couple in finding lodging for the night. Michigan State Police, Coldwater City Police, and Life Care Ambulance all assisted at the scene. The Coldwater Fire Department was on the job for 3 hours.