Clawson firefighters douse 2 fires, conduct elevator rescue, save cats

CLAWSON — Crews from the Clawson Fire Department had a busy day Saturday, Aug. 13, the same day as the Clawson Lions Club’s Down on Main Street Car Show.

Firefighters extinguished an early-morning blaze that originated in the attached garage of a home and rescued a cat; they doused a transformer fire caused by a fallen pole behind the post office; and performed an elevator rescue at Clawson Manor.

Garage fire

At approximately 1:15 a.m. Aug. 13, the Clawson Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire in the 300 block of South Batchewana Avenue, near Crooks and 14 Mile roads.

According to the Fire Department, a fire in the attached garage awoke the residents, and they immediately exited the structure and called 911. The first unit to respond reported a “working fire with black smoke coming from the attached garage.” The second unit arrived “simultaneously” and secured a water source from a nearby fire hydrant.

One crew entered the structure from the breezeway and fought the blaze from the unburned side, knocking down the bulk of the fire and preventing it from spreading into the home.

At the same time, a second crew entered the home through the front door to search the residence. Although both occupants had left the building, they reported that their cat was still inside.

“The search team was met with very low visibility due to smoke filling the home, but they were successfully able to locate the cat and remove it from the building still in good health,” the Fire Department stated in a Facebook post.

Crews removed the exterior garage doors after extinguishing the majority of the blaze and performed an “extensive overhaul,” with crews remaining on the scene for approximately three hours “putting out hot spots and confirming there was no extension into the home,” the Fire Department stated.

Clawson Fire Chief Troy Engel said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but that officials do not suspect foul play.

“The residents did not have a working smoke detector,” Engel said. “The cause is still under investigation, but it could be discarded smoking materials or it could be a light fixture they were having problems with.”

Engel added that the cat was “fine” despite inhaling smoke — it was meowing after being rescued, although Engel said the owners said “he just wants a treat” — and that the insurance company boarded up the home and made sure the residents had a place to stay.

When firefighters returned to the fire station after the structure fire, Engel said they discovered that someone had abandoned a “very sweet little” calico cat at the station in a cat carrier, and one of the firefighters took it home.

 

Transformer fire
At approximately 1:20 p.m. Aug. 13, Clawson firefighters responded to a transformer fire behind the post office, 345 N. Main St., north of 14 Mile Road, from which a “large, dark black column of smoke could be seen for blocks away,” the Fire Department stated.

The pole fell away from the building, and only the transformers and grass burned. Once crews confirmed there was no electricity going to the transformers, they safely extinguished the fire, according to the Fire Department.

“The transformer on the pole came down and the oil in the transformer started on fire — that’s what the black smoke was,” Engel said. “DTE came quickly and secured the electricity so we could get in there and put it out. DTE got new transformers up already.”

Engel said he believes “it was just a rotted pole,” although “it’s hard to tell when they’re in concrete,” but that the Police Department would investigate. He dispelled a rumor that a truck hit it, as he said the post office “didn’t have any deliveries.”

“In Clawson, wires come down when the wind is not blowing,” he said. “It’s like the Bermuda Triangle.”

 

Elevator rescue
Just after fire crews extinguished the transformer fire, they were dispatched for an elevator rescue at Clawson Manor, 255 W. 14 Mile Road, where they were able to safely remove occupants from the elevator, according to the Fire Department.

Engel said the high-rise is privately owned and that the Fire Department has been having some issues with the elevators, which “get used constantly.”

“It was a busy weekend, and while unfortunately there was property damage, we are glad no one was injured,” the Clawson Fire Department wrote on its Facebook page. “We are proud of our firefighters’ hard work, and we are all proud to serve the citizens and City of Clawson.”

The Clawson Fire Department is staffed by paid volunteer firefighters.

For more information, call the Clawson Fire Department at (248) 435-4500.