HURON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 76-year-old man was found dead after firefighters and officers called to a house fire found a large amount of fresh fire accelerants, several weapons and barricaded doors throughout the home.
Huron Township firefighters were called at 5:21 p.m. Tuesday to a home in the 21000 block of Huron River Drive. A resident reported smoke was coming from a home on the street, officials said.
When firefighters and police officers arrived, they quickly extinguished multiple fires inside the home and garage, according to authorities.
Authorities said they found a large amount of fresh fire accelerants throughout the building. They also noticed several weapons and doors that appeared to be barricaded, officials said.
"Once inside the residence and after observing several indicators of obstacles that could potentially be dangerous to our staff, a decision was made to have our first responders take tactical positions," Hurton Township Director of Public Safety Everette Robbins said. "This decision was made not only to ensure their safety, but also the safety of nearby neighbors. Our top priority was to make sure everyone remained safe."
Officers set up a perimeter around the home and neighbors were asked to shelter in place, police said.
Huron River Drive was closed between King and West roads, officials said.
Off-duty firefighters and police officers were called to the scene to assist with the situation, police said. DTE crews shut down service to the immediate area.
"The teamwork that occurred throughout this emergency situation was incredible," Robbins said. "All hands were on deck and both of our public safety departments were all in to ensure the safety of our residents."
Robbins said Michigan State Police Bomb Squad robots were sent into the home due to the accelerants and the possibility of an armed person.
"(MSP) responded with two robots to assist us with assessing the threat level inside the residence," Robbins said. "The robots were beneficial to limit the human interaction with potential threats and ensure that our first responders make it home safely. The work of these robots ultimately gave us the confidence that we could enter the home safely and come to a resolution to this incident."
Huron Township and state police entered the home around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. They said they found the 76-year-old homeowner dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was turned over to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
He isn't being identified at this time.
Robbins said a couple of officers sustained minor injuries and are recovering.
The investigation is ongoing.