ROSCOMMON – A Roscommon man escaped injury when his house caught fire early this morning.
According to a statement from Roscommon County Undersheriff Ben Lowe, a bystander called 911 about 1 a.m. on May 30. Deputies arrived on scene is lass than a minute from being dispatched, and found the home, located at 307 N. Fifth Street, was burning significantly on the back side.
The home was occupied by one adult male who was sleeping at the time of the fire. Deputies Briggs and Bell were eventually able to wake the man and get him out of the house, escaping just prior to one propane tank exploding and another tank catching fire.
The residence became fully engulfed and fire units remained on scene till about 7:30 a.m. Firefighters were able to contain the fire and keep it from spreading to adjacent buildings.
Roscommon County Central Dispatch also called for assistance from agencies outside of the village. Streets were closed down and traffic rerouted during the blaze.
Higgins Township Fire and EMS was the primary agency responsible for containing the fire. They were assisted by Gerrish Township Fire Department, South Branch Fire Department, Denton Township EMS and the Michigan State Police.
Lowe thanked firefighters and EMS personnel, as well as the person who called in the blaze.
“(Their) early observations allowed deputies to get there quickly to awaken and evacuate the homeowner prior to the home being engulfed,” Lowe said in the statement. “This exemplifies the importance of community members watching out for one another, and how vital it is to respond quickly in emergency situations.”
The incident is under investigation.
