Early morning fire destroys home near South Haven

SOUTH HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A family’s home was destroyed by a fire near South Haven early Thursday morning, officials said.

Just after 4 a.m., firefighters received reports that a fire had engulfed a trailer on M-140 Highway located southwest of the South Haven Area Regional Airport, South Haven Area Emergency Services wrote in a release.

Four people safely evacuated the trailer before fire crews arrived. Responders were able to limit damage to a nearby unoccupied trailer, officials said in a release.

Officials said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the most intense damage was concentrated around an electric heater.

‘Be careful with space heaters,’ Grand Rapids Fire Department warns

Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires nationwide, according to the National Fire Protection Association, and the third leading cause of home fire deaths. The NFPA reports that 12% of home fires from 2018 to 2022 were caused by heating equipment. Experts warn that people should exercise caution when using electric heaters.

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