Two dogs are dead and a family farmhouse is destroyed after a fire in rural Berrien County.
Benton Township Firefighters responded to the scene of a large fire at Sommerfeldt Farms, 10932 Benton Center Road, at about 11 a.m. Tuesday. Fire Chief Robert Harper said his crews could see the smoke from their station five miles away, and immediately called for mutual aid from surrounding departments due to the size of the fire.
“There were flames shooting out of the windows all the way around the first and second floors,” Harper said. “It had already gotten in the attic, there was fire in the basement and pretty much on every level. With the windows breaking from the heat of the flames and the wind coming out of the west-northwest area, it just got in there and was feeding more oxygen to the fire.
“Being an old farmhouse like that, it just went really quick.”
Benton Harbor, Sodus and Sister Lakes fire crews assisted in battling the blaze. Harper said they initially were inside the home, but the roof started to fall and they had to move into a defensive attack, fighting the fire from the outside.
“The guys made a valiant effort,” Harper said. “There was really not a whole lot we could do.”
No people were inside the home at the time of the fire, and the dogs were being taken care of by family members who lived nearby while the homeowner was out of town, Harper said.
Sommerfeldt Farms said in a Facebook post their dogs were named Poncho and Baby, and asked for prayers from the community during this difficult time.
Sommerfeldt Farms has been a family owned business since 1954. They operate a farm stand on the property. The barn and other structures on the property were not affected by the fire.
