Fire pit explosion leads to Washtenaw County house fire, resulting in a near total loss

WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A family in Washtenaw County lost their home right before Thanksgiving, and while they made it out, Firefighters are using this as a warning to others as Michigan gets more into the holiday season.

A Chelsea home that went up in flames Tuesday night sent a man, his wife and their young child running over to their neighbor’s place for help. The fire happened on Sibley Road near Main Street.

The cause of the fire was a fire pit that blew up, a kind that Fire Chief Rob Arbini says that you can buy online on Amazon. 

Arbini says small in-door devices can be quite dangerous and typically burn clean alcohol with no smoke coming out.

"That was burning," said Arbini. "He went to fill it up with the with the liquid. It flashed at him, catching his clothes on fire."

Investigators say the man using it then went for a fire blanket, but Arbini says that blanket caught fire which led to one thing then another, resulting in nearly a total loss. The homeowner suffered first and second degree burns over less than ten percent of his body. The fire chief says you might want to think twice about using these types of gizmos.

"I would stay away from them," said Arbini. "Being in the industry now for 30 years, candles, get a can of spray if you want to make a room smell better.  Stay away from the open flame. Stay away from anything that (uses) flammable liquid. It’s not worth the risk."

This fire pit was not left unattended. Fire officials warn residents they should never leave devices like that or a space heater alone while they are turned on.