Two houses damaged by fire this week in Tecumseh

TECUMSEH — Two house fires in Tecumseh caused extensive damage this week.  

Tecumseh firefighters were dispatched at 8:14 p.m. Thursday to 500 Cairns St. and found the front part of the residence well engulfed in fire and with flames extending up into the attic.  

Crews attacked the fire from inside with two hose lines and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes.  

The Raisin Township and Clinton fire departments provided mutual aid.  

A husband and wife were at home during the fire. The husband had just arrived home and saw the fire outside in the shrubs, climbing to the soffit and to the attic and went inside to get his wife, who was sleeping inside. 

Although there was extensive damage to the home, assistant fire chief Scot Long said that neither the husband nor wife were injured. They were the only two occupants. The American Red Cross put the couple, who rents the home, up in a hotel.  

“While there was a lot of damage to the building, a lot of their personal belongings were able to be salvaged,” Long said. 

The Tecumseh Fire Department was dispatched at 10 p.m. Wednesday to 304 N. Maiden Lane to find the residence's three-seasons room at the rear of the house enveloped in flames. 

The residence was occupied by two roommates, one of which was the property owner. 

The owner’s roommate had just gone to bed. The property owner was on the couch and the dog barked, so he got up and noticed light coming through the bathroom window and went to the three-seasons room and found it on fire. The property owner woke up the roommate and both occupants were able to exit the residence safely. 

Tecumseh received automatic mutual aid from the Clinton and Raisin Township fire departments and Lenawee Community Ambulance.  

Crews had to knock down the three-seasons room to gain access to the home and attack the fire inside, which had spread to a first-floor laundry room and bathroom. Crews were able to bring the fire under control quickly.  

“We had the fire under control in about 15 minutes, but had extensive overhaul to check for hot spots, any extension where the fire would have gotten into any void spaces to rekindle,” Tecumseh Fire Department Capt. Brian Radant said. 

All crews left the scene by 12:30 a.m. 

The two occupants had family in the area and stayed at their homes. The next day, the property owner told Radant that he was in contact with his insurance company. Radant is not aware of any fundraising efforts to restore the occupants’ belongings or to meet their basic needs.