SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Shelby Township couple will likely have to rebuild their home after a fire that might have been sparked by fireworks destroyed it early Tuesday morning.
Ewelina Supato said her parents were sleeping at about 5 a.m. when flames started spreading at their home near 21 Mile and Hayes roads.
“My dad said he heard the shatter of the glass, he woke up, he saw the flames, and the whole deck was in flames. He got he and my mom out of the house,” Supato said.
Firefighters arrived within minutes, but the fire had already spread into the attic.
The source of the fire is still be investigated, but Fire Chief Jim Swinkowski said a firework could have landed on a gazebo and smoldered overnight.
“No one was using a grill. Nothing was in use last night, no smoking. So, the obvious ignition sources are obviously not in play at the moment. The only thing we do know for sure is there were fireworks going off in the area, which would have been in line with the wind direction we had overnight,” Swinkowski said.
He added that even if a firework doesn’t turn out to be the cause of the fire, lighting off fireworks during such dry weather conditions is not a good idea.