SALEM TWP., Mich. (WXYZ) — A Salem Township family lost their entire home Tuesday after a fire that started while the homeowner was using a propane torch to burn weeds in his yard.
The fire quickly spread from vegetation to the house, leaving the structure a total loss despite the efforts of firefighters from multiple counties.
"Unfortunately, he lost the entire house," said Fire Chief James Rachwal.
According to Rachwal, the fire department received a call around 2:39 p.m. reporting brush on fire near a house.
"He felt that pesticides were a little more invasive than he'd like so he went to use the torch to burn off some of the weeds and leaves underneath his deck and what we believe happened is it caught the vegetation on fire which then lead to a bush that was nearby the house, which then spread up the back of the house hitting the vinyl siding and then entering the interior of the house," Rachwal said.
The homeowner told us over the phone that he believes there was a malfunction with his water system, which is connected to WiFi, that prevented him from controlling the fire before it spread.
Video from the scene captured by Enroute Media showed nearly a dozen fire departments working together to battle the large blaze.
"We called departments from Wayne County, Oakland County, and Livingston, on top of Washtenaw County," Rachwal said.
Firefighters faced additional challenges due to dry, hot weather conditions and the lack of fire hydrants in the area.
"We actually had to send the water out to 6 Mile to have it piped back into the scene so that we could actually fight the fire," Rachwal said.
While using propane torches for weed control is common, Rachwal emphasized the importance of safety precautions.
"Yes, so it's a common practice, the thing that we recommend is always have a means to extinguish it quickly. I think he took his eye off of it, he thought the fire was out, he thought he was done, and according to him, he went back to the front and then came back and found the backside of his vegetation on fire," Rachwal said.
As summer temperatures rise, the fire chief offered warnings about open flames.
"If you're going to use something like that, try to keep it away from the house, try to give [yourself] some distance so that if it does catch on fire, you have some time to try to put it out before it reaches there. Be cognizant of what you're burning and what's around your area. Just not the weeds. In this case, a brush that was dry, if you have wood chips," Rachwal said. "So, any time you have an open flame, you just have to pay attention to it because it can get away from you really, really quick."
The house fire on Genson is being investigated by Michigan State Police and is currently being ruled accidental.
Fortunately, all family members and pets escaped the fire safely.
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