Crime & Safety

Fire Investigator Searching for Source

Crews from an insurance repair company continued boarding up 590 Shelden Rd. Wednesday morning. They began Tuesday after firefighters gave the OK.

Firefighters had to return to 590 Shelden Rd. early Wednesday to douse a hot spot that reignited at the three-story home in which the roof collapsed early in the battle. 

A few firefighters remained on the scene overnight and this morning to keep watch for any flare-ups, said Detective Sgt. Scott Rohr. The reignition early Wednesday was under control relatively quickly, he said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The fire investigator, Sgt. William Nicholson, was searching the inside of the house Wednesday afternoon in hopes of determining the source and exact location where the fire started. 

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The fire damage was contained to the second and third floors of the 5,100-square-foot home but the entire house has heavy water damage, Rohr said. Trees and bushes near the home were coated in thick ice, which began forming early during the battle. Icicles formed on the tires of fire trucks Tuesday night. 

A State Farm Insurance representative was at the scene Tuesday morning, where traffic was heavy with passersby, slowing to check out the damage. A DTE Energy representative and fire damage cleanup crews were on site as well. 

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Firefighters from all five of the Pointes and Harper Woods arrived at the burning three-story house at the corner of Shelden and Clairview roads shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday and the bulk of them didn't leave the scene until about 10 p.m.

Rohr said the crews were released in shifts beginning at 9:30 up to 11 p.m. The Shores received a 911 call about fire. When crews arrived shortly before 5 p.m., they found heavy smoke coming from the third floor and eaves troughs, according to a press release.

Homeowner Gina Stapleton was not home when the fire ignited. She left her house about 4:10 p.m. and returned to find firefighters surrounding her blazing house. 

The dancing flames shooting out of the roof taunted firefighters for several hours in single-digit temperatures, causing the gallons upon gallons of water to flood and freeze throughout the house as well as the nearby streets. 

Department of Public Works crews were on scene last night, heavily salting Lakeshore Road to prevent slick driving conditions for motorists. The house is one block from Lakeshore and much of the water initially used to fight the fire rushed down Clairview Road onto Lakeshore Road. The southbound lanes of Lakeshore Road were closed for hours as crews contained the fire. 

Department of Public Works crews heavily salted Shelden and Clairview roads after firefighters cleared out. The roadways were covered in layers upon layers of frozen water. 

Crews rescued Maxwell, Stapleton's Yorkshire terrier, from inside the home that was otherwise vacant. Rohr said Maxwell was near the back of the house and originally firefighters thought he was loose in the house, but they found him in a cage. Maxwell, cage and all, were carried out and he did not suffer any injuries, Rohr said. 

This is the first fire of this magnitude in more than a year, Rohr said, noting how appreciative the Shores department is for the help from all of the other departments under their mutual aid agreement. Without the additional help, the fire would not have likely been controlled as quickly as it was, Rohr said.

Battling a fire in extreme temperatures, hot or cold, poses risks for the firefighters and equipment, Rohr said. In this case, crews could not shut off the water lines because the lines would have frozen over within minutes, he said. In addition to then preventing further firefighting efforts from that particular line, it could also lead cause damage to the hose itself, he said.

Firefighters also have different challenges in the extreme cold. Cold weather requires more energy by the body to stay warm. This is in addition to walking the scene with heavy equipment through deep snow and icy conditions, Rohr said. It causes fatigue much more quickly, he said. 

No major injuries resulted from the fire but a few firefighters do have minor injuries from slip and fall accidents, according to a press release. 

For the initial report on the fire, please read Patch's first story. Additional photos of firefighters battling the blaze are included there, too.


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