COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Coldwater Public Safety officials say a suspect is in custody after a home in the 200 block of South Jefferson was destroyed Thursday morning by a fire that police believe was deliberately set.
The Coldwater Fire Department says they responded to the call at 10:32 a.m. The Quincy Fire Department was called out automatically for the structure fire as part of a mutual aid agreement.
There were reports flames in the rear of the home and heavy smoke showing as firefighters were being dispatched.
Within minutes of arrival, Fire Chief David Schmaltz requested additional assistance from the Bronson and Lakeland Fire Departments.
Schmaltz says the two-story wood-frame house is a total loss. He added in a statement released by the Public Safety Department,“When I arrived I could see heavy smoke billowing out of the structure.”
Schmaltz added strong winds made it difficult to extinguish the blaze. Wind gusts at the time were near 30 miles an hour.
When Coldwater Police officers arrived to assist with traffic control, they were told by a witness that one of the occupants of the home set the fire and left.
Police took the suspect into custody a short time later. No information about the suspect was being released at mid afternoon.
Also called to the scene were the American Red Cross and the Branch County Sheriff’s Department Victim’s Services Unit.
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