It was a business that had been in the family for more than 30-years, but it only took a couple of hours Monday night to wipe the small enterprise off the face of the earth following a freak accident triggered by Monday night's thunderstorms sweeping across Michigan's Great Southwest.
Lakeshore Appliance at 19883 Blue Star Highway has been tabbed a total loss following a lightning strike that caused a tree branch to fall onto electrical service wires running above the small building. That triggered the ensuing fire shortly before 10pm and the business was destroyed in the process.
Michael Springer was the owner of the business which he and his wife had taken over a few years ago when his mother passed away. His parents had begun the business some 30-years ago, and after he had inherited the shop, the family was trying to get things in order, but unfortunately the building was not insured.
Springer is not certain what will happen next for Lakeshore Appliance, although friends have launched an online fundraiser to help get them back on their feet.
Firefighters from South Haven and other departments arrived on the scene shortly before 10pm last night and were on site until shortly after 1:30 this morning before departing the scene. Lakeshore Appliance sold both new and used appliances and parts for them for some three decades until last night's fire.
Here's the link to the online campaign to help the Springer family with their business:
