Fire damages house

At least 18 firefighters from various fire departments, including Clinton and Tecumseh, battled a house fire May 27 in the 200 block of East Michigan Avenue. Assistance at the scene also was provided by the Clinton Police Department and Michigan State Police.

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

CLINTON — The Clinton Fire Department, along with mutual aid support from area fire agencies, made quick work of extinguishing a blaze last week at an East Michigan Avenue residence.

Firefighters were dispatched at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, to reports of a house fire with visible flames, said Clayton Covell, Clinton assistant fire chief. Flames were still visible at 12:25 p.m. when the first truck arrived on the scene in the 200 block of East Michigan Avenue near the intersection with Washington Street.

Automatic mutual aid came from the Tecumseh Fire Department, and a second alarm for additional aid was sent to Manchester Township, Ridgeway Township and Adrian, Covell said. The Sand Lake Fire Department provided an engine to cover any additional calls at the Clinton station while fire personnel were at the scene of the blaze.

“The fire was quickly brought under control 14 minutes from arrival,” Covell said, adding the fire originated on an exterior porch and spread into the kitchen. The residence sustained heat, smoke and water damage.

Assistance at the scene also came from the Clinton Police Department and Michigan State Police “in quickly shutting down Michigan Avenue and helping with managing hose lines at the beginning of the fire,” Covell said.

The two occupants of the house were not at home during the time of the fire, Covell said, and there were no injuries to civilians, firefighters or other first responders. The occupants have been displaced for the time being, Covell added. The cause and origin of the fire are still being investigated, but it is not deemed to be suspicious in nature.

A total of 18 firefighters were on the scene, and the all-clear was given at 2:21 p.m., Covell said — just a little more than two hours after the initial dispatch time. Even though the blaze was brought under control in less than 15 minutes, fire crews remained on the scene to check for hot spots throughout the house and to handle ventilation and cleanup.

Last week’s structure fire was the fourth major fire the Clinton department has responded to this calendar year, Covell said Sunday afternoon.

“Sometimes, there’s just not any rhyme or reason to it,” he said.