officials are investigating the cause of a fire that left extensive damage to a two-story colonial home on the 300 block of South Batchewana on Thursday afternoon.
The family was not home at the time of the fire; a dog and cat were found uninjured inside the house.
Firefighter Jim Horton said crews responded to the fire at about 1:45 p.m. The fire had crawled up the exterior back wall of the home and the attic was engulfed in flames, he said.
Crews knocked out 90 percent of the fire within five minutes and spent the next hour putting out hot spots, Horton said.
"I am not shy to say this was an incredible save," the Clawson firefighter said.
The attic and and exterior back wall are destroyed and there is widespread smoke damage to the house, Horton reported.
Clawson Patch will update this story as more details are available.
