An unoccupied house at 1980 Metamora Road caught fire for the second time in its history Sunday.
At 5:12 p.m., Oxford firefighters were called to the single-story house, west of M-24 and south of Hummer Lake Road, after a passerby used a cell phone to report the blaze.
Firefighters arrived on scene at 5:16 p.m. and had the blaze under control at 5:30 p.m., according to Chief Jack LeRoy.
Damage ‘in excess of $50,000? was suffered by the 900-1,000-sqaure-foot home, its attached two-car garage and the breezeway that connected them.
Given the damage was equal to more than half of the home’s estimated value of $94,224, LeRoy said, ‘It’s pretty well going to total it.?
‘It’s probably going to have to come down,? he speculated.
But this wasn’t the little home’s first fire. ‘Ironically, it’s the second time it’s burned in 39 years,? the chief noted.
The first fire, which completely destroyed the attached garage and breezeway, happened in November 1967.
Back then, the fire did a total of $7,500 in damage to the garage and its contents, but the house was saved.
The house is currently owned by Robert M. Turner, who also owns Express Plumbing Heating and Mechanical, Inc., located right next door at 1960 Metamora Rd.
LeRoy said the house was being renovated.
‘It had been sitting vacant,? he said. ‘They were going to rent it.?
Per standard procedure, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Fire Investigation Unit was called to the scene, however, LeRoy said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
‘It’s believed to be accidental at this point,? he said.