Man and his son escape house fire

NORTH MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - Smoke alarms awoke a man and his 14-year-old son, allowing them to safely escape their North Muskegon home as a fire started to engulf the residence.

Seven fire departments were dispatched around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday to the 400 block of Channel Road, the North Muskegon fire chief told 24 Hour News 8 at the scene.

The chief said the fire sparked in the basement and spread within minutes due to the 1920s-era home not having "fire stops."

"The first floor totally collapsed into the basement so there's a lot of damage," North Muskegon Fire Chief Steven Lague said.

Investigators do not know what caused the blaze.

The homeowner said the smoke detectors were lifesavers.

"They saved these people's lives," Lague said. "He uses a medical device for snoring, called a sleep apnea machine, so those are kind of loud, and he usually sleeps through a lot of noises. For whatever reason, the smoke detectors did wake him."

The residents were unhurt, their dog escaped as well, but their parrot died in the fire.

The home is considered a total loss. The family has a cottage and will be staying there.

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24 Hour News 8's Amanda Jarrett contributed to this report