CRAWFORD COUNTY - It was a case of being at the right place at the right time for one Northern Michigan fire official who was able to rescue a man from his house that was on fire.
Deputy Chief Ed Goscicki says it all happened when he was leaving a Frederic Township board meeting Tuesday night.
He said he noticed smoke billowing in the sky and thought it was an illegal burn, so he went to investigate.
That’s when he discovered it was actually a home and the smoke was coming from underneath the house.
Richard Brown, 84, was inside walking around his living room and had no idea his house was on fire. The deputy chief immediately let him know and got him out of the house safely.
Brown says he was surprised to see Goscicki.
“I didn’t realize there was a fire until after I got out of the house. I run over to my neighbor’s house and sat down. Then I could see the smoke coming out. I had no idea what’s going on. I would have went to bed,” said Brown.
Goscicki said it took going around the house twice to spot Brown inside, and he’s so glad he did.
“He was not aware that his house was on fire. The amount of smoke that was coming out of the house was enormous. But there was hardly any smoke inside of his house. The smoke detectors hadn’t even activated until I opened the door and Mr. Brown came outside,” said Goscicki.
Brown is staying with family until his home can be restored. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.