ALMONT TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - A dirty clothes dryer is responsible for a fire that took down a giant deer processing plant in Lapeer County just as the hunting season started.
The fire chief in Almont Township says lint buildup in a commercial clothes dryer caught fire at the Country Smoke House on Van Dyke late last Thursday. The flames quickly spread into the roof of the building along a vent stack and were large enough to be seen from across M-53.
More than 40 volunteer firefighters from six area departments responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze in two-and-a-half hours. No injuries were reported.
The fire was the latest in a string of tragedies for owner Steve Francis. Days after suffering a heart attack, Francis' father died. The family had just finished holding a funeral up north when they got word of the fire at the Smoke House.
"Thirty years of our lives is tied up in this business," Francis told WWJ's Charlie Langton, getting emotional. "It's tough, real tough."
The building has severe damage, but Francis said he plans to rebuild. In the meantime, hunters from around the state will need to find a new location to process their deer.
The Country Smoke House is Michigan's largest deer-processing facility and a destination known for jerky, smoked meats and sausages sold at its market.