MANISTIQUE TOWNSHIP — A home in Manistique Township is a total loss after a fire at around 3:00 p.m. Monday

Firefighters believe that the blaze at a house at 6631 highway US-2 started in the garage area. The two-story home and garage were unoccupied at the time of the fire.

US-2 was shut down for several hours as firefighters needed to allow fire tankers free access to bring water to this firefighting effort. One Manistique Public Safety Officer received a minor injury during the incident. The homeowners’ family cat is believed to have perished in the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.