Blaze Kills Three Near Port Huron
A fire at a small assisted living home near Port Huron killed three of the four elderly residents early Sunday and sent the fourth resident and one owner to the hospital, authorities said.
An owner of Tomlinson's Adult Care Home reported the fire about 2 a.m., St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon said. The home is in Grant Township, about 55 miles north-northeast of Detroit.
``When the fire broke out, there were a total of seven people at the residence - the homeowners and their 19-year-old grandson,'' Donnellon said in a news release.
He said those killed were an 89-year-old woman and men ages 93 and 76. Their names and the cause of the fire weren't immediately released.
The 70-year-old male owner and a surviving resident were hospitalized with unknown injuries, the sheriff said. The other owner and their 19-year-old grandson escaped.
Dale and Karen Tomlinson are the home's licensed owners, according to Department of Human Services online records.
``It was a very tragic fire for us,'' Grant Township fire Chief Don McLane told the Times Herald of Port Huron. ``We've been friends of the owners of that home for many, many years.''
The fire departments in neighboring Burtchville and Clyde townships helped fight the blaze.
The flames stayed in the living room area, but smoke spread throughout the home, the fire chief said. He said the fire also killed the family dog, a St. Bernard.
