Michigan man fights house fire with snowblower!

268
Share

Water supply a problem? Lots of frozen water in the form of snow around the burning structure? Maybe it’s time to take a tip from Steve Luibakka of Diorite, Michigan in Marquette County. On Monday evening Luibakka was alerted that his neighbor’s home was burning. The fire had started in a couch and was blowing out the living room picture window when Luibakka arrived with a 30-pound fire extinguisher. Witnesses say flames were six feet above the roof line.

The extinguisher was a help, but only temporarily. Luibakka realized he needed another extinguishing agent that Ishpeming Fire Chief Andy Lusardi says largely extinguished the fire and reduced the amount of damage to the home:

Here’s the rest of the story from Dionna Harris at DailyNews.Net:

“I was able to knock down the flames, but it was so hot. The heat was so intense, it just flared up again. I ran over to my son-in-law’s garage and grabbed his snowblower…and started blowing snow into the living room. It took about 10 minutes, but we were able to knock the flames down.”

Liubakka said while he was operating the snowblower, his son-in-law shoveled snow into the home, and into the auger of the snowblower.

“One firefighter said there was about 16 inches of snow in the living room. And even with all the snow, the temperature within the home at that time was still 170 degrees,” said Liubakka.

Lusardi said the fire was out when firefighters arrived at the scene.

He said using the snowblower to blow snow through the front window helped contain the fire to the living room.

FOR VIDEO:
http://firetruckblog.com/2011/02/09/do-you-have-a-snowblower-in-your-firefighting-arsenal-diorite-michigan-man-describes-unique-way-to-put-out-house-fire/

Oceana County mother, three children treated for carbon monoxide poisoning

OCEANA COUNTY — Three children and their mother were taken to a local hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning early Wednesday after authorities were called to the home.

Hart Area Fire Department officials responded to the mobile home at 5800 W. Seventh in Mears just after 7:30 a.m. after the mother called 911 about a possible gas leak.

Authorities arrived to the home to find two young children under the age of 3 and a teenager who all complained of feeling ill for the past several days, a fire official said. The mother was also apparently sick, the official said.

Using a carbon monoxide detector, fire authorities discovered high levels of the gas in the home.

Hart Area Assistant Fire Chief Terry Haynor took the family to Lakeshore Hospital in Shelby for treatment.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/02/oceana_county_mother_three_chi.html
E-mail: hpeters@muskegonchronicle.com

Duane Sanders - January 2011 Guardian Customer Service Rep of the Month

Duane Sanders is one of a kind. He is caring and compassionate with all customers. He keeps the same demeanor and tone no matter how angry or frustrated the customer is. He offers solutions, not excuses as to what we can do to fix problems. He not only keeps up with all procedures, he keeps up with past procedures. He is our personal record keeper, and if it was sent out we know Duane has it. Not only do we appreciate all of Duane’s efforts but so do customers. They have given him many recognitions throughout his Guardian career. Congratulations, Duane. Keep up the excellent work!