STURGIS, MI (WTVB) – The owner of a Sturgis home was injured Saturday morning in a fire that officials say may have accidentally started while the man was working on a gas lantern.
The fire broke out at about 9:00 a.m. in the 200 block of Surprise Street.
Fire officials found heavy smoke coming out the front door of the building and the elderly male owner lying on the floor inside when they arrived.
The victim was removed from the home and taken to the emergency room at Sturgis Hospital with burns to face and arms.
The name of the injured man was not released.
According to a Sturgis Fire Department news release, a neighbor tried unsuccessfully several times to keep the victim out of the home, before the victim was overcome by smoke.
The fire, smoke and water damage to the building is extensive and the residence maybe a total loss.
