Community Corner

VIDEO: Tree Takes out Roof of Royal Oak House

Andrew Dennison and Caitlin Cummings were rescued by Royal Oak firefighters after a tree crashed through the roof of Dennison's rental home.

The was called to the 900 block of North Alexander at 5 a.m. Saturday when a tree crashed through the roof of a house, trapping a young couple on the second floor of the home.

Caitlin Cummings, 24, was with her boyfriend, Andrew Dennison, 23, when they heard a crash around 4 a.m.

"We thought a bookshelf broke," said Cummings. The couple didn't think too much of it, but an hour later, an oak tree came crashing through the roof.

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"We were terrified. We tried to go downstairs, but we saw sparks," Cummings said. The tree had compromised some of the house's electrical wiring.

"We were afraid we would start a fire if we moved anything, so we called 911," she said. The Fire Department arrived in a matter of minutes.

Find out what's happening in Royal Oakwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"They used my boyfriend's ladder to get us out through a window," Cummings said, managing to keep her sense of humor. "I was bummed out. I was hoping they would bring a trampoline for us to jump into."

After realizing that the keys to the house were on the first floor, firefighters had to break into the house to turn off the power.

Dennison's roommate, Chris Alberti, 22, was out of town and missed the excitement.

The roommates, recent graduates of the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, have been renting the house for only 30 days. The two have been transitioning into careers and trying to be as professional as possible, said Cummings.

To let Alberti know what happened, Cummings said Dennison sent him a text message showing the tree in the house with the message, "Unprofessional."

Alberti said they have renter's insurance and that neighbors have reached out to them offering assistance if they need anything — strangers have been leaving notes in their mailbox offering help, he said.

On a bright note, the tree fell without knocking out any power lines; however, Alberti said he's worried about an adjacent tree leaning in the opposite direction.

"If that one goes down, it'll fall on the main lines and take out the power for the whole neighborhood," Alberti said.


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