Flames destroy Rochester firefighter's home

ROCHESTER TWP. — A volunteer firefighter's family lost its home Wednesday night to flames. A wood stove is the likely cause of a fire that destroyed a century-old house on Route 511 just south of Route 162, according to Rochester Fire Chief Duane Eaton. Once the fire breached the walls, it quickly climbed to the second story and attic, he said. "It's an older house, so there are lots of voids for flames to get into," he said. The fire started about 5:40 p.m. Eaton said homeowner Amber Grim returned home to smoke alarms sounding, and called her husband Ben, a dairy farmer, Rochester volunteer firefighter and the township's road and maintenance worker. Fire crews fought the blaze for hours. With extensive structural and water damage, Eaton said he believes insurers will deem it a total loss. Mayor Cindy Kurpely confirmed that no one was injured in the fire. "I know they're in shock," she said of the Grims and their two young sons. Rochester Township Trustee Gary Landis spoke Thursday morning, just a few minutes after getting off the phone with the Grims. He said their boys were resting and having breakfast with their grandparents. "Even if the insurance comes through, there are still a lot of things they're going to have to rebuild in their family lives — clothes, stuff like that," he said. Trustees immediately started discussing how they could help the Grims recover, he said. Firefighters have started filling a boot with cash donations at the Rochester fire station. Adam Mourton, a township trustee and firefighter, said Ben Grim has been a good friend for many years. Kowing him as a member of the Fire Department for about a decade, his fellow volunteers were happy to chip in. Donations can be made to any Rochester firefighter or by calling township trustees, Mourton said. Mourton described Ben as "down to earth, an all-around great guy. He'd be the first to help you if you needed a hand." Landis said the Grims are a proud family, and "don't like being on this side" of receiving help, even from neighbors of their tightknit rural community. "They want to be on the side that helps other people when they have needs," he said. "They don't want to be the ones who need help. But I said, 'It's your turn,' and we're going to take care of them." Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.