Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A fire overnight in Salem Township brought out firefighters from eight departments as they battled a blaze that began when a homeowner tried to refuel his generator while it was still running.

The fire happened around 2am at a house on Pontiac Trail, just north of Five Mile Road. Salem Township Fire Chief Jim Rachwal said the man spilled gasoline which flashed up and started the fire. He says fortunately the man was not injured, nor was a second person who was inside the home sleeping at the time. However, the winds overnight, which caused massive power outages across the region, made the fire difficult to fight and ultimately the house and an attached garage were a total loss.

However, Chief Rachwal says they were able to save a nearby horse barn with several horses inside. Rachwal says the fire went to three alarms and because there are no hydrants in that area, they had to truck in their own water. Three counties sent departments to assist, including Ann Arbor Township, Green Oak Township, Lyon Township, Northville, Northville Township, South Lyon and Superior Township.

Rachwal reminds residents to be safe with generators during power outages, making sure they are turned off and cooled down before refueling them, also making sure to keep them in well-ventilated areas away from the home.

Picture - Matt Zmuda