PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYAN KLOTZ

MONTGOMERY — Hearing smoke alarms going off in their Cape Cod-style house on Sunday afternoon, Charles Lowry and his wife safely escaped the secluded home at 453 Riverwood Road after discovering a fire in their three-vehicle attached garage, according to Clinton Township Fire Chief Todd Winder.

An estimated 50 volunteer firefighters made a very aggressive attack on the fire, which spread across the roofline of the home and extended into a second-floor bedroom before it was stopped, Winder said. The fire has been ruled accidental, caused by a malfunctioned flue pipe in a wood stove, Winder explained.

“Had they not been home to hear the smoke alarms and called 911, the couple probably would have lost the entire house because the fire would not likely have been discovered until it was seen by a passerby,” he said. The fire broke out about 3 p.m. and was brought under control in about 45 minutes.

“The firefighters made a heck of a stop (of the fire),” he said, adding that for a Sunday afternoon, there was a strong number of personnel available to respond to the scene.

Winder said it was very helpful that firefighters could easily get water from a hydrant that the homeowner had installed next to a pond that was just 1,500 feet from the house.

“While the garage sustained extensive damage, the main part of the house was saved,” he said, adding that firefighters covered many of the couple’s personal possessions with tarps. “We did everything we could to help them,” he said.

“There was a lot of fire above the wood stove and below the roofline,” Winder said, adding the couple can rebuild the garage. “Part of the garage roof collapsed,” he said. The Lowrys, who have another place to stay, will likely be displaced for several months, Winder said. They have fire insurance.

One firefighter was treated at the scene for a medical issue, Winder said. Besides Clinton Township, firefighters from Elimsport, Montgomery, Warrior Run Area, DuBoistown and Picture Rocks responded to the blaze. Firemen were on the scene dousing hot spots for four hours.