Residents safe after house fire in Mount Pleasant
A Mount Pleasant Police Department car sits outside Walmart on Dec. 12.
Mount Pleasant Fire Department firefighters responded to a house fire around 7 p.m. Jan. 5 at 1604 W. Michigan St.
First responders reported heavy smoke coming from the back of the building, according to a press release from the Mount Pleasant Department of Public Safety. The residents of the building were outside and uninjured when responders arrived on scene.
“The source of the fire was determined to be from the furnace room, which was situated in the back of the house,” said Mount Pleasant Assistant Fire Chief Doug Lobsinger. “The first responders were able to get into the backyard to access the furnace and attack (the fire) from outside. When we had sufficient staffing, we were able to attack from the inside.”
Lobsinger said the fire had little affect on the exterior of the building, but the interior was severely damaged.
“The fire didn’t spread through the entire house, it was contained in the one area of the house,” he said. “It was the heat and smoke that did the most damage.”
Damages are estimated at more than $100,000. The cause of the furnace fire is still under investigation.
“Usually your nose helps to detect smoke in your home, but when you’re asleep your nose kind of shuts off and you likely won’t smell the smoke,” he said. “But your ears are still working. If your smoke alarm starts going off, you’ll hear it and wake up.”
The Mount Pleasant Police Department and Mobile Medical Response assisted the fire department at the scene.
