Kalkaska Township Fire Department Battles House Fire

A Kalkaska family lost their house Thursday night in a fire.

The Kalkaska Township Fire Department got the call just after 4pm about a fully engulfed house fire on Pontius Road.

The fire chief says the family thought it started in a room with a wood burning stove.

Everyone inside was able to get out safely but some of the family’s pets did not.

Responders say road conditions, lack of accessible water and the house itself made things difficult.

“It’s a house with a metal roof and we always run into this with houses with metal roofs. It’s great because the snow slides off but it also holds the heat in. It’s like an oven and everything gets hot and it just burns up and goes away. And then the metal roof falls in and then it prevents us from being able to get in to where we need to get to put the fire out." says Kalkaska Township Fire Department, Chief Derek Hogerheide.

The fire department will continue to investigate the cause of the fire and the Red Cross has been called in to assist the family.