Two cats rescued from blazing house fire in Belleville

Two cats were reported inside the house at 205 Roland Street in the city of Belleville when fire erupted at about 3:52 p.m. Friday.
Belleville Police Officer Sarah Dzagulones entered the home that was filling with smoke and carried out a black cat. She was holding it upside down and when she passed it on to a person outside, it got away, but was caught and put in a carrier.
She reentered the house, went upstairs and looked under the bed, where the owners said the other cat might be located, but the smoke was getting too thick and she couldn’t see, so she left the house. She said she left all doors ajar so the missing cat could escape.
Belleville Fire Chief Brian Loranger said after the fire was extinguished, fire fighters found the second cat in the kitchen, wet but alive.
Chief Loranger said at first it was said the homeowner was trying to remove insects from the attic with smoke and that is what started the fire. But, Chief Loranger said when fire fighters returned Friday night to deal with a “hot spot” they were able to see that an electrical outlet on the first floor was blackened and it is now believed to be the source of the fire.
Chief Loranger told the city council on Monday that the old house had a lathe and plaster construction with drywall on top and balloon construction. The fire went upward inside the walls to the three separate attic spaces and to the roof where it erupted in flames.
He said in older homes there is nothing to keep the fires from traveling upward inside the walls. Also, he said, often old homes have old electrical systems. He said a couple of circuit breakers had tripped.
Belleville Fire Department called in mutual aid requests to Van Buren Township and Sumpter fire departments, who arrived at once. Chief Loranger said the old fire hydrant that was just 50 feet from the fire truck didn’t have a large enough feed, so they had to attach to another hydrant at the corner of Madelon and Robbe, 1,100 feet away, that could produce more water.
He said when Romulus Fire Department brought its ladder truck, the water could be directed down onto the roof which put out the flames.
According to city records, the house was built in 1930 and was purchased last October by Gale Rich and Jonathan Myers from Jerry and Lori Dummann.
Chief Loranger said the brick home at the corner of Roland and Angola streets is a total loss. It is insured.
No one was injured in the fire, he said.
At Monday’s city council meeting, crossing guard Mary Talaga said a fourth-grade boy who attends Edgemont Elementary School lived in that house.
Chief Loranger said the Chudzinskis brought clothes over for the family, since they lost everything. Even though they have insurance, right now they are in need and a Go Fund Me page is being set up to help them.