Farwell--The Surrey Township fire department in Clare County was called to a house fire in Farwell shortly after 10 a.m. today.
By the time crews arrived they said the house was unrecognizable.
The assistant fire chief Mark Carrow wants to remind you to keep your driveways clear for access and shovel the area around any fire hydrants that may be near your house.
He also said seconds count, and when crews have to spend time shoveling the hydrant to gain access, it takes time they could be using to fight the fire.
Carrow said fighting fires in the winter presents a different set of obstacles.
“We have to recirculate the water. If nobody’s flowing water, we keep the water moving in the trucks through the end of the hose lines. We keep the nozzles open to let the water trickle, so the hoses don’t freeze,” said Carrow. “A lot of times we wear ice cleats on our boots because everything around the scene gets really icy. We usually call-in county trucks for salt and sand because the trucks coming and going always leave water on the road. So everything is just icy, it’s a whole other beast in the winter.
Carrow said residents who use fireplaces should routinely clean them out.
Creosote---is a residue caused by burning wood that attaches to chimney walls.
It’s highly flammable and responsible for a portion of house fires in winter months.