They don't do it for the accolades, nor the glory
Two more homes burned Thursday morning, adding to a wave of house fires across Northern Michigan in the last couple weeks.
Firefighters say winter time is peak season for house fires, and because of the high number, they wouldn't be able to fight them without a pivotal group of volunteers.
Volunteer firefighters are not in it for the accolades. Most of them don't get paid. They do it because they want to help, and it's extra man power that's desperately needed.
The Wolverine Fire Department arrived to a home on Rondo Road in Cheboygan County, near Wolverine, to find flames and smoke coming from the back of the home just after five Thursday morning. The flames spread into the walls, moved rapidly, and made it tough to fight. The home is a complete loss.
As crews finished mopping the Cheboygan County fire up, approximately 30 miles away, Otsego County Fire Department responded to a house fire on Hayes Tower Road, near Gaylord.
"The roof is gone, the entire second story is gone on the backside of the house," explained Dave Duffield, Otsego County Fire Department Chief.
The home, like the earlier one, was also a complete loss. There were two fires in one morning and several people putting their personal lives aside to help douse the flames.
"It’s nice to help people out when you can, and it's a family tradition too," said Duffield.
David Duffield has been on the Otsego County Fire Department for 37 years, he's now chief, and he volunteers his time to be the first on the scene and be the last to leave. He, like the rest of the 40 volunteers in the department, fights the flames even in snowy and cold conditions. Back at the Wolverine fire, the assistant chief, Tim Torrice, says being on the front line is the right thing to do.
“It's rewarding, it has its rewards, you don't never know it, but I'm sure it does," said Torrice.
Torrice says the Wolverine Fire Department doesn't have as many volunteers as they'd like to have, but they make do with what they do have. But the men all share one common vision, Duffield probably said it best.
“Being able to help the people when they're in need, yeah, it's worth it," said Duffield.
