Photo courtesy of Dan Sarazin Bootjack Fire and Rescue was assisted by five other departments in battling a structure fire in Torch Lake Township Saturday. The home was completely destroyed.

TORCH LAKE TOWNSHIP – The Bootjack Fire and Rescue Department responded to a structure fire alarm at 45524 Oak Ridge Road, approximately three miles from Dreamland, in Torch Lake Township Saturday morning.

The Department’s Chief Dan Sarazin said the alarm was called in at 9:45 a.m. Sarazin said when firefighters arrived the home was fully engulfed in flames.

“The fire was so intense,” Sarazin said, “it was seen from the Michigan Tech campus. It was that far gone.”

Sarazin said the home is a total loss.

The home is owned by Linda Frusti, said Sarazin, and was occupied by her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend.

“They were in the home when they noticed the fire,” he said.

While they were able to escape the house, they were unable to rescue their dogs. “They tried desperately to get their pets out,” said Sarazin, “but they couldn’t get the dogs to come down, they were upstairs.”

Sarazin said he believes the cause of the fire was electrical.

“There was no insurance on the property,” he said. “There was no advantage in burning the house down. Without insurance on it, there’s no financial gain.”

Sarazin said the Bootjack Fire and Rescue Department was assisted by the Lake Linden, Hubbell, Tamarack City, Calumet Township, and Laurium Village fire departments, and by Mercy Ambulance.