MACKINAC COUNTY (WWJ) — A massive blaze destroyed one Mackinac Island home built in 1900, leaving behind very little beyond charred wood and ash, fire officials said on Tuesday.
Firefighters were first made aware of the flames around 3:13 a.m. after security guards at the Grand Hotel noticed an orange glow on the East Bluff near Fort Mackinac.
By the time fire crews arrived at the residence on Huron Road, the century-old house was completely engulfed with fire and had collapsed in on itself.
A post to the Mackinac Island Fire Department Facebook page said the glow from the fire about be seen for over 1/2 a mile away; firefighters said the home was completely destroyed.
"The home is a total loss and there was little to salvage," said Mackinac Island Fire Chief Jason St. Onge wrote on Facebook. "Belonga Excavating was called in to help scoop up the wreck with an excavator so further extinguishment could take place."
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Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time, but they do not consider the incident suspicious.
According to The Detroit Free Press, the owners of the home, Dr. Steven Ledtke and and his wife Kathryn Kavanaugh Ledtke of Fort Gratiot, were off-island at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Ledtke said that the home holds special memories not only for her family, but also for the thousands of tourists that visit Mackinac Island every year.
"Our kids grew up there. My son married there. One of the children took first steps there," she said through tears to The Detroit Free Press. "We would sit on the front porch and watch the horses go by, from May through October. People would stop at a bench in front of our house and take pictures. It was just so peaceful."
Ledtke and her husband purchased the historic cottage about 25 years ago when he went through his family practice residency at Mackinac Island Medical Center during peak tourism season in the summer months.
The cottage had formerly been called the Crow's Nest.
"I'm just asking for prayers," Ledtke said. "We would appreciate prayers."
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