Last Saturday about 1:00 p.m. when Richard Bird was burning some grass at his farmstead seven miles southwest of Coldwater, air currents suddenly swept the blaze to some grass near his house trailer and caught it on fire. As there was only a gravity water system at the farm, it was impossible for Richard to put out the blaze.

He attempted to hitch onto the trailer house but the butane pipe broke, spraying the gas like raw gasoline. The trailer burned completely and set fire to a modern bunk house nearby. In the trailer were the Bird's summer clothes, trunks, three mattresses and other articles, all of which were destroyed.

The bunk house had been completely modernized with sliding doors, toilet, etc., and lacked only new linoleum to complete the project. There was beneath it a full basement but the flame was kept out of it and only water damage resulted in the basement. Principally the portable sprayer on the jeep of a neighbor, Jack Alexander, together with Mr. Bird keeping the roof wet, even with low pressure, kept the house from catching on fire.

Many neighbors and help from both Protection and Coldwater assisted in limiting the spread of the flames.

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Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!

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