Fire guts Brandon home

Brandon Twp.- A family of five lost their home following a Tuesday afternoon blaze.
Township firefighters responded at 3:27 p.m., Tuesday to the house fire in the 100 block of Presidio Drive just west of Oakwood and Baldwin roads. Fire Chief Dave Kwapis said low hanging smoke was visible when firefighters arrived.
‘Smoke from the fire had just started through the vents in the home when we arrived,? said Kwapis. ‘Soon after, flames breached the roof. The fire really took off fast after that.?
No people were in the home at the time of the blaze; however, a Newfoundland dog perished in the fire.
Oxford, Hadley and Groveland Township fire departments assisted in extinguishing the blaze. Water was hauled in from Brandon Fire Station 3, 5050 Oakwood Road, east of N. Hurd Road.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the blaze may have started in the basement near the woodburning furnace which was operating.
‘The homeowner had stoked the fire about an hour and half earlier,? said Kwapis.
The home was insured. The family, now staying with relatives, includes three boys who attend Oxford School District in the fourth and sixth grades.
Odd Jobs Disposal, 3323 Metamora Road, Oxford is accepting donations of cash, gift cards to Sam’s Club, Visa or Kohl’s. Mail donations to Jessica Christensen, Family in Need, PO Box 97, Oxford Mich., 48371. Details: 248-628-7447.