Fire heavily damages Madison Heights home

By Chris Dumond

Published: October 14, 2008

MADISON HEIGHTS — A Monday evening fire heavily damaged a nearly 80-year-old home off Brightwells Mill Road.

Monelison Fire Department Chief Rick Hunter said the 1929 farmhouse near Oakdale Church was technically salvageable, but added that the owner’s insurance would not cover the cost to demolish and rebuild it.

Firefighters were called out to the home just before 5 p.m. By the time they arrived, the fire had spread to both floors of the home, Hunter said.

Phillip Kidd, the owner, said he had been raised in the house, but was renting it to tenants who were in the process of moving out. He found out it was on fire when a neighbor called.

“There’s nothing salvageable that I can see,” Kidd said. “I’m just glad no one got hurt trying to save the thing.”

Firefighters could not say where or how the fire started other than that it appeared to have started on the first floor. The cause of the fire was under investigation as of Monday night.