Lake Orion Couple Playing Pokemon Go Saves Royal Oak Home from Fire

Lake Orion Couple Playing Pokemon Go Saves Royal Oak Home from Fire
(City of Royal Oak, July 16, 2016)
A couple playing Pokemon Go is credited with saving a Royal Oak home.
Patrick Awdish, 24, of Lake Orion, and Katelyn Zack, 21, of Ray Township were in Royal Oak looking at wedding venues and — ahem — Pokemon yesterday when they noticed a deck fire in the 4100 block of Grandview.
“We saw smoke and we thought someone was barbecuing,” Katelyn said. “When we looked closer, we saw the deck was on fire and we called for help.”
Katelyn and her fiance were looking at potential wedding venues in the area and grabbed something to eat when they decided to walk around to see if they could catch any Pokemon with the popular Pokemon Go app.
The homeowners, (they say they play Pokemon Go, too) had just left for a baseball game when the incident happened.
“It was a small fire that was easily put out, but because no one was home, it could have escalated into something much bigger,” said Interim Fire Chief Jim Cook.  The city has been watching the Pokemon Go phenomenon for the past week, trying to determine if it’s an opportunity or a threat.
“There is a Pokemon Gym next to City Hall and we watch the trainers come and go all day,” said Community Engagement Specialist Judy Davids. “To be honest, I worry they are going to trip over something or walk in front of a car. It turns out they may not be as distracted as we think, but rather they are hyper-focused.”
The game app begins with a warning that reads: “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.”  We are very grateful Katelyn and Patrick were alert and furthermore they recognized very quickly they should called for help.  As for the Royal Oak Fire Department, they are trying to figure out a way to give Katelyn, Patrick and maybe even Pikachu some type of special award.

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