Fire investigators are waiting to talk to Oshtemo Township Fire Chief Kenneth Howe about the fire that injured him and gutted his house.
No update was provided this morning about the condition of the chief, who was being treated for smoke inhalation at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. His condition was upgraded Tuesday from critical to serious.
Howe got his family safely out of their house at 562 N. Van Kal St. after a fire broke out at about 4:40 a.m. Monday, authorities have said. Firefighters found him inside, near the front door.
Investigators have not said whether Howe went back inside or never came out. They hope to speak with him when he is released from the hospital, said Sgt. Scott LeRoy of the Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Unit.
LeRoy said the house is a total loss from a fire that appears to have started in the basement. Investigators have found nothing suspicious, but the cause had not been pinpointed this morning, he said.
A fund for the Howe family has been established at Citizens Credit Union. Donations may be made in the name of the Kenneth and Barbara Howe Family Fund at any Citizens location.
Republished with permission of the Kalamazoo Gazette.
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