Passerby alerts Bronson Twp. family to home fire

BRONSON TWP. — A motorist passing on U. S. 12 alerted a family just before 6 a.m. Thursday that their home at 376 Prairie River Road was on fire.

Sparks from a charcoal grill on the back porch caught the porch and adjacent garage on fire.

Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber said the home had working smoke alarms, but they had not yet activated until flames broke through from the attic and garage, where they had spread.

Twenty Bronson firefighters responded with mutual aid tanker trucks from Colon and Burr Oak.

Firefighters were on the scene for three hours.

The satellite station tanker provided water until mutual aid arrived. Tanker trucks filled at the hydrant across from St. Mary’s Catholic church to ferry water to the pumpers.

Wilber estimated the building damage to be $200,000, with $50,000 in damage to the contents.

Bronson Fire reported no injuries.

Wilber stated, “This fire shows the importance of having working smoke alarms. The homeowner was very surprised how quickly the smoke and flames spread once the fire broke through into the living space.”

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Wilber said quick response saved most of the house, stopping the fire as soon as the first trucks arrived.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Passerby alerts Bronson Twp. family to home fire