Ontonagon man's house burns 2 days after death

ONTONAGON — The home of an Ontonagon man who died two days before, burned to the ground on Saturday.

Ontonagon Village fire official Jim Miles said he is “leaning to a heating involvement fire” which destroyed the home of the late Robert Anderson Saturday.

Miles said the fire department received a call Saturday at 6:17 p.m. and when they arrived at the home at 718 N. 17th St., the building was heavily involved in flames with fire coming out of the roof and windows. He said 2 feet of snow on the roof hampered firemen, but probably kept the fire from spreading to any of the surrounding woody area.

Miles said he believes the fire started in the living room area from the heating system and spread to the attic.

The Ontonagon Village Fire Department was assisted by the Rockland and Carp Lake fire departments, U.P. Power Company, Semco Energy, SONCO Ambulance, and Pestka Construction with its heavy equipment.

Anderson lived alone in the home. He had died of a reported heart attack on Thursday.

Fire officials were able to leave the scene about 9:30 p.m., Miles said.

—Jan Tucker