A Thanksgiving night fire resulted in a 7-hour fight from firefighters to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and the three family members at the residence in Manson.
On Nov. 23 just after 11 p.m., crews with the Perry Township Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the town of Manson near the Colfax-Manson overpass.
Engine 122, tanker 124 and engine 121 initially responded to the scene. Upon arrival, the crews reportedly worked to maintain the fire, and the incident was marked “working.” The first responders requested a second alarm on the scene where engine 122 arrived and began working to contain the interior fire.
According to authorities, the crews were met with heavy fire and rapidly deteriorating conditions within the residence. As additional crews arrived from the Frankfort Fire Department, Madison Township Fire Department, Clarks-Hill Lauramie Township Fire Department, Clinton County EMS and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office dispatched from Clinton County Central Dispatch, the crews were assigned to assist with the efforts to contain the fire.
As the fight against the flames continued, the crews reportedly confirmed that all residents were vacated from the interior of the home. Due to the rapidly changing conditions and the deterioration of the structure, the crews were reportedly evacuated from the residence and began defensive operations to keep the fire from spreading.
The Perry Township Fire Department stated that crews maintained their efforts until just before 6 a.m. when the incident was controlled.
No injuries were reported during the incident, but two dogs perished in the fire. No further information regarding the cause of the fire was released.
The family has released a GoFundMe campaign, reporting that they lost everything in the fire Thanksgiving night, and they requested for the community to help them start anew. The family stated that they lost three dogs and their cat in the fire, but all three family members were able to vacate the residence.
“Me and my kids lost everything that we had to a house fire on Thanksgiving,” the family reported. “We don’t know what to do. It’s too cold to stay in our car and we have nothing anymore. We lost our three dogs and our cat, and we have nowhere to go and no one to turn to except for the three of us. That’s all we have.”
The family’s GoFundMe may be found at https://gofund.me/d9e819d0.
The fire department stated that no further information would be shared at this time.