STURGIS (WKZO-AM) — A Sturgis man had to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation because he kept running back into his home to pull out property despite a neighbor’s attempts to stop him.
The last time he ran in, he ran into a wall of smoke and heat that knocked him to the floor just inside the front door. That’s where the first wave of firefighters on scene found him and pulled him to safety.
Sturgis firefighters were dispatched to the burning home in the 200 block of Surprise Street at 9 a.m. Saturday. Crews had to cut a hole in the roof to vent the smoke and get at the flames which were focused in the rear porch and kitchen area, but had burned into the attic.
The home may be a total loss.
Investigators believe the owner was working on a gas lantern when something went wrong, triggering the fire.
The current condition of the homeowner was not released.
