At 10:43 am this morning the Holland Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a residential fire at 423 College Avenue. Callers stated that the back of the house was on fire. Upon arrival approximately 4 minutes after dispatch, the first arriving unit advised that the back of the structure was well involved with fire. It was believed that all residents were able to escape prior to the arrival of the department. As additional units began to arrive, they went to work searching the inside of the residence to confirm that there were no occupants and extinguishing the fire. The fire was brought under control quickly however crews remained on scene to continue extinguishing fire that extended into the walls, second floor and attic spaces. Quick action by firefighters prevented the wind driven fire from extending into other residences in close proximity to this structure.
There were no injuries to the occupants however one firefighter was injured when a portion of ceiling collapsed while working crews were working inside the building. A second firefighter sustained a minor hand injury. The structure itself sustained significant fire damage and smoke damage throughout. Occupants will be displaced for some time. The fire appear to have originated in the rear of the structure however the cause had not been determined. The department's Fire Marshal is conducting an investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.
The Holland Twp., Park Twp. and Graafschap fire departments provided mutual aid on scene and for coverage of additional calls. Assistance was also received from the Holland Police Department, AMR, HDPS Victim's Advocates, Ottawa County Volunteer Services and he American Red Cross,
Smoke alarms inside the residence were active at the time of the fire. This serves as a reminder to everyone to test theirs on a monthly basis and if they have a battery that can be replaced, it should be done in conjunction with the time change. "Change your clock, change your battery."