GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After a few close calls of fires and carbon monoxide leaks, Grand Rapids firefighters have a safety reminder for homeowners, especially those with large icicles and snowpack on their roofs.
“How you can protect yourself as a Michigander is making sure all those ports of entry and exit from your home and appliances are clear of snow,” Grand Rapids Fire Department Capt. Bill Smith said.
How to protect your home from ice dams
Large icicles and snow on homes and buildings can cause costly repairs or be deadly. Grand Rapids firefighters responded to a few close calls this week involving large icicles and heavy snow on roofs. When they come crashing down, they can cause gas leaks or fires.
“Today we’ve run at least three incidents where we’ve had the ice fall down and take out the power mass for electrical systems and have caused a couple of fires. But we were there quickly (and the fires were) quickly extinguished,” Smith said.
Last week, a Grand Rapids family narrowly escaped a carbon monoxide leak into their home.