CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Fire crews are investigating after a man died in a house fire overnight. It happened just before midnight on Vermander Avenue in Clinton Township.
The Clinton Township Fire Department says they received multiple 911 calls around 11:40 p.m. Monday. Neighbors report hearing a loud boom around the time and seeing the home completely engulfed in flames shortly after.
Fire crews say a man was trapped inside the home at the time of the fire and died on the scene. Family members have since identified the victim as 67-year-old John Ramon Brune.
Tuesday extensive damage was left outside of the home including charred siding and busted windows.
"We’re all kind of in shock. We’re all kind of at a standstill right now," said Rita Brune of her brother's passing. "I fell to the floor. He’s my brother, just under me, so we’ve always been pretty close, so to hear of his passing the way that it happened, I can’t wrap my head around it still."
Brune says her brother has three children and two grandchildren. She says she's going to miss the phone calls she would receive from him out of the blue and his kind spirit.
"When you met him, you weren’t going to forget him - ever. The man had his door wide open 24/7 feeding people, clothing people. Whatever he could do to help somebody, John was there for ya," said Brune. "I remember one Christmas, I took him over everything for a Christmas dinner and he said he took it down the street and gave it to another friend."
Long-time friend Tom Vasilos says Brune was a regular at his nearby restaurant. He stopped by the 67-year-old's home Tuesday afternoon to pay his respects.
"He loved his pets, just a good guy, just loved people and loved making people laugh," said Vasilos. "John was just all around for the neighborhood, one of the good guys there and he’ll be truly missed in this area."
Neighbors say they believe Brune's home may have been being heated via propane tanks. However, the Clinton Township Fire Department says they are not focusing on that in their investigation at this time. They are still working to learn a cause, but say there were a lot of flammable items inside the home at the time of the fire.
"My gratitude to all of those who were standing out there all night not knowing if he was alive or not," said Rita Brune of her brother. "I just want them to remember what a kind man that John was and there really wasn’t anybody that he did not love."
