Harsens Island fire destroys six homes, millions caused in damage
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Fire teams throughout Metro Detroit raced to St. Clair County early Wednesday afternoon after several homes caught on fire.
First responders throughout Harsens Island and St. Clair County traveled by ferry to battle a massive fire at The Old Club.
With the location being surrounded by water, fire teams were able to utilize the lake's water. The homes were empty and no injuries were sustained.
"We had water on all sides and our trucks can draft right out of the river," said Clay Township fire Chief George Rose.
The flames charred for hours, leaving barely anything left of the homes. Investigators on the scene say the homes were empty because they were seasonal homes. Many of them were built in the 1800s.
What's left of the historic homes are stilts and ashes. The rest has simply sunk.
"The homes are built basically on stilts they sit over the water they are on the property. That's just how houses were built in those days," Rose said.
Crews spent Wednesday evening making sure hotspots were extinguished.
Battling a fire in the winter can bring challenges for first responders. For those fighting fires on Harsens Island, the wind played a challenging role.
"You're looking at a balloon construction once a fire gets going you're not stopping it. And the wind was quite a big factor in this too," Rose said.
It's unclear how the fire started, but police do not suspect foul play. Authorities believe the fire may have started from something electrical.
Currently, there is no price tag on the damage done to the homes. Chief Rose estimates the damage to be in the millions.