HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — An Otsego family is without a home after a large fire Saturday night. It happened on 111th Avenue, between 16th and 15th streets according to Otsego Fire Lt. Dave Kranz.
The home’s two occupants escaped safely, as did a family pet, he said. No firefighters were hurt during the incident.
He said the call for help came just after 9 p.m.; firefighters were on the scene until 2 a.m. Saturday, June 22, 2019.
The home, which is just under 2,000-sq-feet, and the attached garage are considered a total loss, he said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though Kranz said there’s an outside possibility that a lit cigarette may have played a role.
Fighting the fire got complicated quickly, he said, because the home had an attached propane tank feeding the fire. An electrical transformer also exploded during the incident, as did small-engine appliances, such as a lawnmower and possibly household chemicals. Area residents made social media posts about those sounds.
Assisting at the scene were four other fire departments: Allegan, Gun Plain Township, Martin, and Hopkins. Plainwell EMS was on scene to treat anyone for injuries.
Alamo firefighters manned the Otsego fire stations during the incident.
Kranz said it’s important for families to remember to keep bedroom doors closed at night, to practice an escape plan with a clearly understood meet-up site, as well as ensure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries, and to
Otsego firefighters handle about 950 calls each year. This year, Lt. Kranz became the city’s first full-time firefighter on the city’s payroll.
