The Holland Fire Department was dispatched to 194 East 37th Street for a possible fire in the residence at 6:37 PM. A male occupant of the home indicated that the smoke alarms were sounding and there was an odor of smoke. First arriving units from the Waverly Road station quickly identified that there was a working fire in the basement. Upon arrival of additional personnel, crews made entry to the structure, located the fire and brought it under control. Additional crews were assigned to conduct searches for potential occupants on the first and second floors of the structure which were heavily charged with smoke. Through these efforts firefighters were able to locate and remove a small dog and a cat. Both pets are doing well at this time and expected to be okay.
The department remained on scene until 9:10 PM, completing extinguishment and ventilating smoke from the residence. Damage estimates are not available at this time however direct fire damage is confined to a limited area of the basement and extended into a small area of the first floor. At this time the cause of the fire has not been determined and the department's Fire Marshal has initiated an investigation.
The department was assisted this evening by the Holland Police, AMR, the HDPS Victims Services Unit and the American Red Cross. The Hamilton Fire Department and Holland Township Fire Department provided coverage for subsequent incidents that occurred during the fire. The Park Township Fire Department responded to the scene to provide breathing air.
This incident demonstrates the importance of having working smoke alarms. The operation of working smoke alarms in this residence provided early notification of the fire for the resident at home when it occurred. The department would like to take this opportunity to remind community members install working smoke alarms and test them on a regular basis.