ALLEGAN COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — A Valley Township man died in an early morning fire, according to a report from Allegan County Sheriff’s Office.
The house fire, on 117th Ave. near 43rd St. in Valley Township, was in a single-wide trailer home, with flames visible to a nearby home.
The first Allegan County deputy on the scene found 23-year-old William Hedges lying about 15 feet from the home, with obvious burn injuries.
The deputy, with the help of several family members, moved him to safety as he was unable to move on his own because of the burns. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Investigators learned that several family members were in the home when they noticed a fire had started in the kitchen area, police said. They were trying to get everyone out safely, when they found the Hedges, who was helped outside by several family members. The others in the home all suffered from varying degrees of smoke inhalation, and were treated at the scene as well as at the hospital, according to police.
Firefighters from Clyde and Lee townships, with those from Hamilton, extinguished the fire before it destroyed the home. The fire is currently being investigated by the Michigan State Police Special Investigations Division Fire Marshal.
Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies assisted the firefighters, Life EMS, AMR Ambulance and the Michigan State Police Special Investigations Division.
