A house fire erupted at 5568 Clarkston Road, near Pine Knob at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The homeowner’s 23-year-old son was home studying on the east end of the home, when he heard a muffled explosion coming from the garage on the west end of the home.
Independence Township Fire Chief Steve Ronk said the sound was either aerosol cans exploding or the roof caving in.
When the man went to check on the noise, he opened the house door to the garage and was blasted with heat and fire. His skin, hair and facial hair were burned. He fled the home and called 911. Ronk said the man did not need medical attention for his burns.
Fire Departments from Orion, Brandon and Oxford townships responded to assist Independence. There are no hydrants in the area, so the additional responding units helped set up a water source, Ronk said.
“There was an awful lot of burn time before we were notified. That’s what really caused the major damage.”
It is believed to have been an electrical fire originating in a wall of the garage due to the use of a welder earlier in the day. The fire spread into the attic of the home. Cathedral ceilings made it difficult to squash the fire in the attic, Ronk said.
The fire closed Clarkston Road for two hours.