Fire causes major damage to Breitung Township home
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QUINNESEC -- A Breitung Township Board trustee and his family were surveying the remains of their Quinnesec Street home Thursday evening after a late morning fire gutted much of the interior.
Ben Peterson said his neighbor called just before 11 a.m., saying smoke was pouring out of the house at 330 Quinnesec St. That neighbor had already contacted 911 to report the fire.
"I thought he was kidding when he called me," he said.
Peterson was at his business, Red Line Sport & Marine in Norway, at the time and said no one was in the home when the blaze broke out.
Crews from Breitung Township, Norway and Iron Mountain fire departments all responded, as did Dickinson County Sheriff's Department, Michigan State Police, Integrity Care EMS, Breitung Township Public Works and DTE Energy. They were able to clear the site about 2 p.m., a fire official said.
An electrical problem is suspected to be the cause, though the investigation continues, Peterson said.
A view from the back of the one-story home, which they'd lived at since 2005, showed extensive damage. No pets were lost, Peterson said, "just lots of stuff … it's bad."
His wife, Mollie, has a house in Norway where they can stay while they have the damage assessed before deciding how to proceed, he said.
Peterson thanked all the fire departments, sheriff's department and others who responded for doing "a great job," along with his neighbor for reporting the fire.
Also on Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in a preliminary online report said a wildfire burned nearly 10 acres in the Pembine area just east of U.S. 141 before it was brought under control early in the evening.