Mother and two young children escape R.V. fire in Dundee, MI

DUNDEE, Michigan (WTVG) - A mother and her two young children are safe after they escaped an intense fire that burned through their motor home, destroying it within minutes.

Video and pictures captured by Dundee Police Lieutenant Randy Sehl show the fire as it’s happening and the aftermath. The fire was reported to officers just before 4:00 PM Wednesday, August 30, 2022. It was in the back parking lot of the Citgo gas station off U.S. 23 in Dundee.

“Just really thankful that they weren’t sleeping in that RV when it went up and that everybody got out safely,” said Dundee Police Officer Dale Greenleaf.

Officer Greenleaf explains a mother from Highland, MI, was taking her two young children on a camping trip to Ohio when she pulled over to take care of her infant. The woman tells police she turned off the engine, but the inside of the R.V. started to get warm.

“So, she turned the ignition back on and immediately saw smoke coming through the vents. So, she shut the vehicle off and got out with her two children, got them safely out of the vehicle, and she said within about 5 minutes, the flames were shooting through the dash. By the time we got there, the vehicle was fully engulfed, so it went up pretty quick,” explains Officer Greenleaf.

Dundee Township Volunteer Firefighters put out the flames within minutes, but the damage was done. The driver tells police she had just purchased the 1989 R.V. Officers confirm is still had the temporary tags.

Police say it’s a good reminder to make sure your motor home has a working smoke detector.

“Smoke, CO detectors, obviously they play an important role in a motor home as much as they do in our regular homes,” adds Officer Greenleaf.

The woman’s husband picked up her and the kids from the Village of Dundee. Police say they all safely returned home.

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