Large home extensively damaged by fire.

Large home extensively damaged by fire.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

PENTWATER — Every fire department in Oceana County as well two Mason County departments battled a house fire at 5253 West Lakeview Drive Monday afternoon, June 7.

No one was injured in the massive blaze but a few firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion, said Pentwater Fire Chief Paul Smith, battling not only the heavy black smoke but hot, humid conditions.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, said Chief Smith, but fire investigators will likely be examining the scene.

The home is owned by Dawn Anderson, said her fiancé Paul Anderson who was at the scene. The 3,000-square-foot home is approximately 20 years old, said Anderson. Dawn was inside the house and heard “two bangs” from the home’s lower level, he said. She went downstairs to check and soon discovered smoke, quickly evacuating the home, he said. The home is insured, he said.

About 30-40 firefighters battled the huge fire, which was dispatched around 3:45 p.m. Water was pumped from Pentwater Lake off Longbridge Road.

“We actually started going inside and found out that it was down in the basement. It first came in that someone said they heard an explosion,” said Chief Smith. “Two of the road commission guys here — they’re both on fire departments — they came and shut the gas off and stood here until we got here. When we got here we found that a lot of the fire was in the front. We didn’t know if there were dividing walls down there but we could not get to it. The house was already heating up. It was just super hot. A lot of the floors collapsed on the first floor.

“I think we’re getting it knocked down pretty good, but it went up right through the walls,” he said around 5:30 p.m.

The fire originated in the northeast corner of the house, said the chief.

The Oceana County Sheriff’s Office and Life EMS assisted at the scene. 

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