GENEVA TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – For the second straight evening, crews from South Haven Area Emergency Services and surrounding areas had to respond to a house fire that led to the death of a family dog.
On Tuesday night, the call went out around 10:15 PM to a residence off of 60th Street near 12th Avenue east of South Haven. Firefighters saw flames engulf the structure when they arrived, and with no fire hydrants nearby, water had to be shuttled from some distance to the scene which hampered efforts in bringing the blaze under control.
The unnamed homeowner told investigators that he had been away from the home at the time the fire broke out, and that he returned to find the smoke alarm going off and heavy smoking in the basement near a wood-burning stove. While no firefighters were injured and the homeowner was able to escape safely, a Labrador retriever perished in the incident. A similar blaze at a house off of 60th Street in Casco Township on Monday evening also led to the death of a family dog.
Both fires remain under investigation.
