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Fire destroyed at dwelling at Clark Lake this morning (Mon 1/20). Columbia Charter Township Fire Chief Scott Cota says his department was dispatched to 364 Oakwood at 6:02 am for “a garage that was fully involved” in flames. As the firefighters were on the way, “Jackson County 911 advised that the home was also on fire.”
According to neighbors, the occupants were able to escape, and credit was given to their dog that alerted them.
Arriving on the scene, “the garage was already burned to the foundation and two homes east [370 Oakwood] and west [360 Oakwood] of the fire were also starting to burn. A quick knock-down stopped the two neighboring homes from burning any further.” The temperature was near zero and winds added to the challenge. “Fire crews battled high winds that resulted in the rapid spread of the fire, and the extreme cold conditions also played a part in getting a steady flow of water established.”
Chief Cota goes on to comment: “The incredible work of the fire crews on scene stopped the fire from spreading from the original home, despite the conditions that faced them. Michigan State Police and Columbia Police Department did a great job giving a good on-scene report.”
“Columbia Fire was assisted by seven departments from Jackson County and three departments from Lenawee County.” The departments involved were Napoleon, Liberty, Blackman Leoni, Grass Lake, Summit, Henrietta, Somerset, Cambridge, and Addison.
Staying warm was a major challenge.
J-Dart was on scene to provide food and warm beverages. The fire department also contacted the Jackson County Department of Transportation (drop salt at the water source), and Consumers Energy (disconnect gas and electric).
For safety, Bendele Construction was contacted to take down the structure that still remained standing.
A purple line outlines the 364 Oakwood property.
Kellie Garris forwarded this video taken by Courtney Hill from Hyde Road.
