FeedsFirefighters weather busy day
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Canton firefighters extinguished a blaze at a mobile home on Mott Road on Saturday, one of 20 calls for service they answered on the busy day.Saturday proved to be a busy day for the firefighters in Canton Township.
As if a parade and festival appearance weren’t enough to handle, the department also responded to 20 calls for service, according to Fire Chief Mike Rorabacher.
“It was crazy,” he said.
Firefighters started the day escorting Ryan Berger, a second grade student from Dodson Elementary, and Natasha Pietruschka, a fifth grader from Tonda, down Ford Road-on the back of a fire truck. They earned the trip through first place finishes in the fire prevention poster contest.
Later they went on 20 runs-16 emergency medical runs and four fire calls-that caused staffers at the Liberty Festival to suit up and help out.
“We had extra people on duty at the festival,” said Rorabacher. “They were able to handle most incidents. Most of the equipment we use (at the festival) is reserve equipment.”
The most serious incident they handled was a fire at a mobile home off Mott Road, according to Rorabacher. That call came in at about 5:15 p.m.
“It was going pretty good when we got there,” said Rorabacher. “There were flames visible from the home.”
Firefighters quickly put it out and all the occupants escaped safely, including the two family dogs. Other pets were not so fortunate, however. Rorabacher said the family had a number of exotic pets-including snakes and large parrots-that perished in the blaze.
“It was the only casualty of the fire, other than the mobile home was severely damaged,” said Rorabacher.
He said the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but it does not appear suspicious.
“We think it was accidental in some form or another,” he said. “We just don’t know exactly how it started.”
A homeowner elsewhere in the township was preparing his boat for the season when a fuel leak sparked a fire, Rorabacher said. The boat sustained significant damage, he said, and the home suffered some, too. The owner was able to move the craft away from his house, however to minimize it.
“Luckily he got it away from the house, Rorabacher said. “Otherwise it would’ve caused more damage.”
Nobody was injured in either incident.
