An apparent accidental fire that started in the basement of a ranch-style house at 101 Toddy Hill Road drew all five local volunteer fire companies, plus firefighters from Stepney, to the scene at about 9:30 pm on Monday, April 10, to extinguish the blaze that extensively damaged the premises.

Botsford Fire Rescue Chief Wayne Ciaccia, who was incident commander, said that firefighters used several thousand gallons of water carried on fire tankers to put out the blaze. The man who lives at the house was outside the burning building and uninjured when firefighters arrived, Chief Ciaccia said.

The incident caused the death of several caged birds that were within the living quarters, the fire chief said. Firefighters gave oxygen to a pet dog, which had been inside the basement, reviving the animal.

Town real estate records list the owner of the property as Edward J. Cedor, Jr. The identity of the man whom firefighters found outside the burning building on their arrival was unclear. Chief Ciaccia said the Red Cross responded to the scene and organized alternate lodgings for the man, because the house was uninhabitable due to scorch, smoke, and water damage. The house, however, appears to be salvageable, he said.

The town fire marshal was unavailable for comment on the fire on Tuesday morning.

Chief Ciaccia said fighting the blaze, which began in the basement and spread upward to the living quarters, was complicated by the extensive amount of items that the resident stored within the structure. A one-bay garage located beneath the living quarters contained a piece of construction equipment, he added.

The house is situated at the end of a 400-foot-long driveway that slopes downward from Toddy Hill Road, complicating access to the structure. Approximately 40 volunteer firefighters responded to the incident, Chief Ciaccia said.

Of the firefighting effort, Chief Ciaccia added, "I think it went very well, as well as could be expected."