The Grand Rapids Fire Department responded to two fires, five hours apart and three miles from each other. Fortunately, tenants in both homes were alerted to the fires thanks to working smoking detectors.
The department has been inundated with phone calls during the last couple of weeks and now they're reminding residents to do their part in ensuring their homes and businesses are protected from potential fires.
"Our normal workload is somewhere between 80 and 90 calls a day," Grand Rapids Fire Chief John Lehman said.
That number more than tripled.
"In one 24-hour period we responded to over 370 calls for service," Lehman said. "We're not normally used to responding to that level of wires down and trees down across the city at this time of year."
They're asking residents to keep their hydrants clear of snow because lately, many have been frozen. Lehman said most fires during this time of year are caused by similar situations.