Sterling Heights firefighters responded to a reported structure fire in the 38000 block of Claremont Court on Friday, December 23 at around 3:30 in the afternoon. Upon arrival, Engine Company #1 found the single story home to be well involved in flames.
The fire was quickly brought under control by the firefighters from Stations 1 and 5, but not before causing significant damage to the home. Thankfully, all the occupants and their pets were gone at the time the fire started, so no one was injured.
The Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire, which was determined to be an electrical failure of the lights on the real Christmas tree. Residents are reminded to make sure that their real Christmas tree stays watered. If it is showing signs of being too dry, it is time to remove it. Also, electrical circuits should not be overloaded with too many lights, and the lights should always be unplugged when leaving the house, or going to bed.
For more information, please contact Fire Chief Chris Martin at 586-446-2951 or via e-mail at cmartin@sterling-heights.net.