Editor's note: An off-duty South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority firefighter on vacation jumped in to help firefighters as they battled this fire. He helped secure a water supply and staffed a hoseline, according to local media.
The Brigadoon cottage on Mackinac Island went up in flames on Sunday evening.
Heather Fairbanks, 47, of Bloomfield Hills was relaxing with her husband on the porch of a Mackinac Island inn about 6 p.m. Sunday on a weekend getaway when they realized something was amiss just six doors down, she said
"We saw a great deal of smoke coming from one of the houses and we noticed flames and so we looked out and saw that there were a few people standing out front, but the emergency responders hadn't yet got there," she said. "And so we went over and saw the emergency vehicles pulling up. And the flames got quite large."
Details on the fire were not immediately available from officials but Fairbanks and other visitors to Michigan's favorite island getaway quickly took to social media to mourn the damage to the building.
The Brigadoon, a Victorian era-style home, was so beautiful that Fairbanks stopped to snap a photo of it Saturday, she said. By Sunday evening she suspected the interior of the home was gutted due to the fire.
"It's such a historic beautiful home, and it sounded like there was, thankfully, no injuries, but it was frightening," she said. "But everyone stayed calm."
Firefighters worked hard to quell the flames and keep them from spreading next door to the Mackinac Island Yacht Club, Fairbanks said, and she offered them "mad props" for their efforts.
"I was really impressed with how they handled it — in when you're staying on an island with limited resources, you don't know what they have at their disposal, so it was nice to see that they do have emergency responders available," she said.
The beloved island is known for its famous rule: absolutely no cars are allowed onto the island.
Mackinac Island Mayor Margaret Doud, too, thanked first responders in a statement.
"We are all so thankful nobody was injured," she added. "My thanks goes out to the fire department’s in St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which provided much appreciated mutual aid. We are so grateful for their cooperation.”
Phone calls made by the Detroit Free Press to the Mackinac Island Fire Department were not immediately returned.
Jasmin Barmore is born and raised in the city of Detroit. She covers the city's neighborhoods and communities using her passion as her drive to give the voiceless a voice. You can reach her at [email protected] or by sending her a message on Instagram or Twitter at @bjasminmare.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Historic cottage on Mackinac Island catches fire
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