A wood burning stove is suspected to have been the cause of a house fire that occurred Wednesday afternoon at 1369 Zilke Road in Howard Township.

Authorities responded to the blaze at 12:03 p.m. Firefighters from Howard Township, Niles Township and Pokagon Township arrived on scene with SMCAS and the Cass County Sheriff’s Department.

Chris Korp, the Howard Township Fire Department captain, said no one was inside of the home when the fire began. A neighbor reported the fire to the authorities. Three dogs and three cats were reported to have been inside and perished in the blaze. 

Firefighters had to take additional precautions to avoid a sparking powerline that repeatedly showered embers from the north side of the home. AEP later arrived on the scene to turn off the power.

Niles Township Fire Chief Gary Brovold said it took crews about 45 minutes to put out the fire.

The one-story home was declared a total loss.

Korp advised residents who do own wood burning stoves to make sure they have a three- to four-foot clearance around the stove. Residents should also be sure that their chimney is clean and not clogged.