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Local News

Firefighters fight fire, snow, wind and freezing temperatures

A fire at a home in the 5000 block of West State Road in Barry County yesterday will likely result in the total loss of the structure, Thornapple Township Emergency Services Chief Randy Eaton said. No one was hurt; the owner was not home when the fire started.

 

The call came in at 3:15 p.m.; the first on the scene saw smoke coming from the basement.

Unable to enter the house because of heavy smoke and heat, firefighters attacked the fire through a basement window. Freeport Fire Department firefighters assisted; Hastings and Woodland fire departments provided a water shuttle.

 

The house was of “balloon” construction, common years ago, with no fire stops anywhere in the building, the first floor collapsed into the basement early on, he said.

 

There is no dollar estimate yet; they know the blaze started in the basement, but the cause has not been determined, Firefighters were on the scene for several hours andwere called back when the fire rekindled; spending a total of about 11 hours at the scene, Eaton said.

 

The conditions were “horrid” for fighting fire, with snow, a strong wind and sub-freezing temperatures. Equipment and clothing froze, water spilled on the ground also froze making walking difficult and the extra exertion made the work harder than usual, he said.

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