Family loses home to early morning fire
A family escaped an early morning blaze this week in Rochester Hills, but their home was destroyed and they family lost everything.
A neighboring home also was damaged in the massive fire.
But smoke detectors are crediting with the saving the family, the Rochester Hills Fire Department reported.
Firefighters were called early in the morning on Sunday, to the home on the 1500 block of Colony Drive — in a neighborhood off of Rochester Road between Hamlin and Avon roads.
Arriving firefighters found the home engulfed in flames with the fire spreading to the next-door home, said John Lyman, the public information officer for the Rochester Hills Fire Department.
“Firefighters quickly deployed firehose and concentrated on the second home as the first one was totally involved,” Lyman said in a statement. “More hoses were used to extinguish the large fire at the first house. Firefighters were on scene for over three hours extinguishing the fire at both homes.”
All occupants of both homes were able to get out of the houses safely, the first family prompted by smoke detectors.
The first home was a total loss, the family losing everything, including two vehicles in the garage. Lyman said family and friends have worked to help the family.
The second home suffered moderate smoke and fire damage.
“Working smoke alarms do save lives,” Lyman said as a message from the entire department. “Test yours today, and contact the fire department if you have any concerns with your smoke detectors.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s fire investigation team.
The estimates for the total damage to both homes is about $300,000.