BRONSON TOWNSHIP, MI (WTVB) – A fire sparked from a charcoal BBQ grill on the back porch caused $250,000 worth of damage to a home at 376 Prairie River Road on Thursday morning.
Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber says his department was notified by Branch County Central Dispatch of the fire just before 6:00 a.m. after a passerby noticed flames coming through the roof of an attached garage.
The passerby stopped and woke up the occupants. Wilber says the home had working smoke alarms, but they had not yet activated as the fire was in the attic area of the house and garage.
He goes on to report that as the family was exiting the building, fire broke through the ceiling and walls which then caused the smoke alarms to activate.
The Bronson Fire Department had 20 firefighters respond. The Burr Oak and Colon Fire Departments each provided one tanker truck.
Damages are estimated at $200,000 to the building and $50,000 to the contents.
No injuries were reported. Fire crews were on scene for three and a half hours.
Wilber stated, “This fire shows the importance of having working smoke alarms. The homeowner was very surprised how quickly the smoke and flames spread once the fire broke through into the living space. The firefighters did an excellent job stopping the fire from spreading throughout the house. They basically stopped it where it was when we arrived. Also, our second tanker, which responded from our satellite station made a big difference on this fire as we were able keep water flowing on the fire until our mutual aid partners arrived with their tankers.”
(Photos courtesy Bronson Fire Department)
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