Sandusky firefighters stand at the scene of Friday's house fire at the corner of Lincoln and Morse streets.Photo credit: Casey Johnson
Last week, two dogs were lost in a house fire at the corner of Lincoln and Morse streets in Sandusky, despite the efforts of an 18-year-old's family to rescue them.
The Sandusky Fire Department responded to a call on April 5 at 3:58 p.m. at the former Sugartown Sweets Shop (now a residential building) at 44 Morse Street.
None of the five members of the family were home when the fire broke out in the basement.
Sandusky Fire Chief Todd Hillman told the News the fire was caused by the dryer overheating due to a clogged vent.
He said the two dogs were outside the home before the fire department arrived.
Daniel Franks, 18, who has autism, lives at home with his mother and three younger siblings. He stopped by the Sanilac County News office on Monday, April 8, to share his story.
Franks told the News that she and her aunt had just returned home from buying pizza when they heard the fire alarm go off inside the house. He said he and his aunt went inside the house, which was already filled with smoke, to try to rescue the family's two German shepherds, Sable and Scarlet.
Firefighters entered the home to extinguish the fire after the fire started in the dryer.Photo by Casey Johnson
He first removed Franks' emotional support animal, 6-year-old Sable, then 3-year-old Scarlet.
They took the dogs to Town and Country Animal Care on Elk Street, where they were treated but later died from the effects of smoke inhalation.
Daniel said his only thought at the scene of the fire was saving the dogs. He said the fire damaged their home and destroyed many of their possessions, but losing their dog was the hardest thing to deal with.
But he says he's glad they're not suffering.
“Maybe God took them there to help them,” he said.
Scarlett died on Saturday, but Franks said Sable was still trying to comfort her family through her death.
“Sable cared more about us than she cared about herself,” he said. Sable passed on Sunday.
Two gerbils were also lost in the fire.
Franks' grandmother, Mary Ferrara of Sandusky, owns a home on Morse Street where she lives with her mother, Kimberly (Sauer) Blake, and her siblings, including twins ages 11 and 6. ing. He works at his Queen Dairy in Sandusky, and Blake works at his Pickle Co. in Lexington.
The family is currently staying with Ferrara at his home in Sandusky.
Ferrara told the News that the family is involved in community mental health work and is not seeking donations of clothing, shoes or other similar items, and has already received some donations. Instead, they have set up a GoFundMe page called “Single mother of four loses everything in fire'' for anyone who wants to donate to raise money for the house. Ferrara told the News the home will be inspected this week to learn more about repair options. The house was not insured.
Sandusky was assisted by the Carsonville Fire Department. Sanilac EMS was on standby and provided additional oxygen to the veterinary clinic to treat Sable and Scarlet.
Hillman said that despite the ongoing construction on M-46, response times were not affected because the Carsonville Fire Department was coming from the east. Crews rerouted the Dairy through his Queen's parking lot toward Morse Street. Firefighters cleared the scene after about an hour and a half.
