A new holiday classic

We get plenty of news releases at our office. Here is one that arrived this morning that just screams out to be shared with all of you. I'd be surprised if the various "news of the weird" sites don't pick up on it. It's a new holiday classic.

It's in the holiday "spirit," too, as you will see. Just one more example of what holiday-related stress can lead to.

The names have been removed to protect the guilty:

Troopers from the Negaunee Post of the Michigan State Police responded to (address) to assist the Ishpeming Township Fire Department at the scene of a structure fire at 7:15 a.m. The homeowner was being combative with firefighters. During the investigation, troopers determined that there had been a domestic dispute between the homeowner and his girlfriend. That dispute led to the homeowner cutting up the Christmas tree with a chainsaw while inside the house and destroying other Christmas decorations. The tree and decorations were stuffed into the wood stove located inside the house, causing a fire that completely destroyed it. Troopers continue to investigate the events leading up to the fire. Criminal charges have not been determined at this time. No one was injured as a result of the fire. However, the homeowner was treated at Bell Memorial Hospital for injuries received during the domestic dispute. Alcohol was a factor in this incident.

Three comments:

1. You could see that last line coming a mile away, couldn't you?

2. How hard was it for the troopers writing the news release not to crack up while they were doing so?

3. You can't make this stuff up. Stranger than fiction.