SIX LAKES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A fire destroyed Six Lakes Septic Service last month, but, thanks to an act of kindness from a competitor, the business is rising from the ashes.
"It got so hot that it melted all the aluminum and everything, so there really ain't a whole lot left," owner Tony Pant explained to FOX 17 as he surveyed what's left of his business.
He says all of his equipment, including trucks, burned beyond repair when his company's garage caught on fire on January 24.
"This was kind of one of our first backup trucks, like, say we do septic tanks and we do portable toilets, this is the first truck that could do both," Pant said. "Every truck comes with a memory."
Pant is a third-generation owner of Six Lakes Septic Service. His grandfather started the business back in the 1950s.
"We kind of packed everything inside for the winter as best we could," he said. "So, yeah, we had the four tankers, which is pretty much all the business, and then a couple pickups to do miscellaneous stuff."
The fire left the business without a working pumping truck, which meant Pant couldn't service his customers.
Then, just one day after the fire, Pant got a phone call that changed everything.
"That was a lifesaver," he recalled. "John and Ally Plummer reached out to me the next day. This happened on a Wednesday. They offered us a truck Thursday. And, you know, said 'come get it' and 'we want you to be able to take care of your family.'"
John and Ally own Plummers Waste Group. They saw a social media post about about the fire, and decided immediately to lend a hand.
"I get choked up talking, talking about them, or to them. But yeah, we just, you know, thanked him and gave them both a hug and let them know that we appreciate it. The whole thing has been pretty inspirational," Pant said. "In a weird way, you know, even though you lose everything, to have people stepping up like that and help you really changes the way you view things."
Six Lakes Septic Service still needs a lot of help to rise fully from the rubble, so the business set up a GoFundMe page if you're interested in donating.
