CANTON, Mich. – A 44-year-old man was found dead after a garage fire early Tuesday morning at a home on Lancelot in Canton.
Multiple 911 calls came in around 1 a.m. reporting a garage fire at the home.
When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from the attached garage.
Firefighters said the homeowner told crews the man was still inside and believed to be in a second-floor bedroom above the garage.
“About one in the morning, I kept hearing booms. My one dog wouldn’t stop barking. I saw the glow behind the curtains and knew it wasn’t just the street light. I opened up my curtains and saw the fire,” said neighbor Jackie Rowland.
Firefighters began searching, but the floor above the garage partially collapsed, crews said. After knocking down the fire and conducting a second search, firefighters found the man’s body in the room above the garage, authorities said.
“It is awful. It has really shaken me up,” Rowland said.
Three people were inside the home when the fire started.
Neighbors told Local 4 the man initially made it out before firefighters arrived, but went back inside to rescue a pet and never came out again.
“It is just terrible to know someone passed away trying to save their pet. I work at a vet clinic, so it hits especially hard. I understand,” Rowland said.
Canton police said officers were called to the home the night before the fire for an unrelated matter.
The fire remains under investigation, but investigators said it appears accidental at this time.