Firefighters from several area fire departments including Washington, Shelby and Ray townships gathered to battle a fire at a home in Washington Township on March 8. No one was injured in the fire. Photos provided by Jim Poterek

A Washington Township farmhouse on 31 Mile Road between Campground and Van Dyke suffered heavy smoke and fire damage on March 8 following a second-alarm fire. A second-alarm fire calls in assistance from Shelby, Ray and Macomb townships, along with Utica and Armada.

Washington Twp. Fire Marshal Brian Tyrell said that the suppression team left the scene at about 4 a.m.

“There were no injuries,” he said. “The family that lives there wasn’t home, thankfully.”

Tyrell said the original portion of the home, an old farm house, has balloon framing which is very conducive to fire travel.

Tyrell said the night of the fire temperatures fell below 20 degrees which hindered his investigation at the time.

“It was so cold that everything was under ice,” he said. “We are still trying to determine the origin of the fire.”