BARRY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A firefighter was hurt when they fell while responding to a house fire in Barry County.
The fire happened at a home on Osborne Road near S Kellogg School Road in Barry Township near Delton. It was at a home owned by a volunteer firefighter on the Hickory Corners Fire Department.
A neighbor told FOX 17 he got a call from the homeowner asking if his home was on fire.
"He and his wife were in Grand Rapids, and he said 'is my house on fire?' And I had to say it was, it's a real hard phone call to take," said Bear Ackles, who has lived there for 17 years.
Ackles also witnessed the firefighter fall from the top of the ladder. At the time, he was carrying up a hose to extinguish flames.
"He had just, just barely gotten to the top when he went off the side," said Ackles. "There was a thump, a very loud, louder than it should have been, I think."
Ackles said he could not tell what caused him to fall to the ground.
"There's really no words to describe it. It's horrendous," said Ackles.
The extent of the damage is still being determined and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Officials couldn't immediately specify the severity of the firefighter's injuries, but said they may have suffered a broken pelvis.
The family also lost one of their two dogs in the fire.
