Shelby-Benona Fire Department photo
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A small abandoned house on Oceana Drive was “gutted” by a fire Tuesday night, March 31, said Shelby Fire Chief Jack White.
Firefighters from Shelby-Benona and Grant Township were dispatched to the scene around 11:15 p.m., said Chief White. “We cleared the scene about two hours later.” Ferry Township was initially toned out to the call, but instructed to disregard due to the small size of the structure. “It was 16 by 20 feet at the most.”
It appears someone may have been squatting or trespassing in the small house, but no one was inside when firefighters arrived.
Shelby-Benona Fire Department photo
“It looked like somebody had been occupying it in some form prior to the fire,” said Chief White. “It didn’t appear to be a typical abandoned structure. There was some stuff that gave us evidence that people had been in it recently.”
It was not immediately known who owns the house or if it was insured. “It looks like it was attached to a small trailer at one time.”
The cause of the fire is being investigated. “The fire investigation team is going to look at this morning,” said Chief White.
A passerby or neighbor called 911 to report the fire. “If it had been called in a half hour later, it probably would have burned to the ground.”
__________________________________________
Please Support Local News and Sports Coverage
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
The payment can be paid monthly through PayPal: Click this link.
To sign up for an annual subscription, email editor@mediagroup31.com. In the subject line write: Subscription. Please supply your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number (indicate cell phone). We will not share your information with any outside sources.
For more than one email address in a household, the cost is $15 per month per email address.
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
Payment must be made in advance prior to subscription activation.
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.
.png)
