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Arson suspected in Madison home fire

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Staff Report Updated 6:26 PM Monday, December 7, 2009

MADISON TWP. — Arson investigators are looking into a suspicious fire after flames erupted for a second time today at a home in the 3100 block of Radabaugh Road.

Firefighters from three companies fought an apparent electrical fire at 1:45 p.m. Dec. 7, at 3131 Radabaugh Road and were called back to the home at 4:30 p.m. battling a porch fire.

The Madison Twp., St. Clair Twp. and Trenton fire departments responded each time, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported, but the fires caused up to $75,000 in damage, said Madison Twp. Lt. David Runnels.

Occupants of the home were not home when the second fire started.

Neighbors said Red Cross had taken the couple to a shelter fewer than two hours before the porch fire began.

Joyce Banks, 49, said she was in her home when she looked out of her window and saw flames and heavy black smoke.

“It went up quick. The people who live there weren’t gone very long before it went up again. That scares me because I live next door,’’ Banks said.

Banks, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, said she fears someone may be setting fires.

She and neighbor Robin Barnett, 51, who has lived near the home for about 10 years, hope officials keep watch of the home through the night tonight.

Shortly before 3 p.m., firefighters were still on the scene and had not determined the cause of the first fire, but Madison Twp. Fire Chief Kent Hall said it started in the attic.

He estimated the damage from the first fire did about $20,000 to the structure and contents.

Joni Ryan, a resident at the house, said she thought the fire started from a ceiling fan.

“I was sleeping when my husband woke me up. I didn’t smell smoke or anything till I went outside and there was smoke coming from the roof,” she said, adding that she did not see any flames.

Her husband, Sean, said a circuit breaker kept tripping, and when he went outside, he saw smoke coming from the cracks in the roof,

“The smoke got thick, and then they (the firefighters) got here,” he said.

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