By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


An early Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed a home on Milford Road near White Lake Road in Highland Twp., injuring three people.

Highland Twp. firefighters were called to the home just before midnight Wed. and stayed until the wee hours Thursday morning. Three people inside the home were treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard gave credit to sheriff’s deputies for saving the life of a woman who was in the basement at the time.

The sheriff’s office says the fire started when a family dog overturned a heater in the attached garage and ignited some straw. It spread from there to the house proper. Deputies say a 41-year-old woman was trapped in the basement and was reluctant to leave because of some exotic pets, which she told officers were worth $10,000.

However, deputies were able to pull the woman to safety by breaking open a small window and pulling her up by her wrists. They were also able to save three dogs and a pig in the basement. In a press release, Bouchard said, “In saving the woman from possible death, a Thanksgiving Day tragedy was avoided.”

The home was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.