Family escapes house fire

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.

SCOTTVILLE — A Scottville family was able to safely get out of their home Friday afternoon as fire spread on the second floor of their home. Kevin and Renee Pritchard, and their wheelchair-bound adult daughter, Missy, live at 406 E. State St. The fire appeared to have started in the southeast corner of the second floor of the historic home. Kevin Pritchard said they have lived in the home for about 15 years.

Scottville, Custer, Pere Marquette and Riverton fire departments were called to the fire. Scottville Fire Chief Dale Larr said firefighters aggressively fought the fire from the inside. “We had some concerns because the homeowner had firearms and ammunition in the house,” Larr said. Early on in the fire, rounds of ammunition could be heard exploding.

The fire was reported just after 4 p.m. Within 40 minutes, Larr reported the fire had been extinguished but firefighters were checking for “hot spots.”

The home is part of a group of homes that were built by the old canning factory in the early part of the 20th century. The homes were used to house executives.

This is the second fire in the city of Scottville in just over a week. Last week’s fire destroyed a family’s home on North Reinberg Ave.