By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
CLAYBANKS TOWNSHIP — A narrow driveway impeded firefighters’ access to the scene of a pole barn fire Friday night, Jan. 9, said Grant Township Fire Chief Dan Yost.
Two fire trucks were damaged driving down the narrow driveway to 5677 S. Scenic Drive to the fire that was dispatched around 8:20 p.m. Firefighters from Grant Township, Shelby-Benona and Ferry Township responded to the scene.
“The fire at this time is presumed that it was electrical in nature,” said Chief Yost. “In the area, there were power outages throughout the day, and the power company was actually on scene and saw that the building was on fire and notified dispatch and the property owners.
“The fire was, for the most part, knocked down pretty quickly. It probably would have been taken care of a little more easily if we had better access. The issue was we laid about 1,000 feet of large diameter hose, because we could only get one or two trucks down the driveway that goes to the property. A couple of trucks that did get down there got damaged from the tight corners and the trees.” A Grant Township truck and a Shelby-Benona truck were damaged.
Firefighters had to run the hose from the road to the property, and Scenic Drive in the vicinity of the fire was closed to traffic.
Limited access to lakeshore properties has been an ongoing issue for Oceana County firefighters that property owners need to examine and address, said Chief Yost. “We encourage homeowners with long driveways along the lakeshore to make sure their driveways are wide and clear enough for fire trucks and apparatus to get in.”
Although this fire did not risk spreading to other structures, there have been situations where these types of limited access fire scenes can pose threats to other nearby homes. “This fire was minimal exposure or risk to other things, but it is still hard if we can only get one truck back there. When it’s as tight as it is, it’s going to be very difficult to fight any fires or do anything if we don’t have access. Everybody loves their privacy, but when you need emergency vehicles, it’s going to be difficult.”
The pole barn was insured, he said, and it will likely be a total loss. An electric truck inside the barn will also be a total loss. It did not catch on fire, but it sustained significant fire damage. The vehicle was removed from the scene to make sure the batteries did not ignite.
Firefighters remained on scene for about two hours.
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