Residents 'Jump From Windows' After Apartment Building Catches Fire
DETROIT (WWJ) - Firefighters have extinguished a two-alarm blaze at an apartment building on Detroit's west side.
The fire broke out Thursday morning at the three-story complex on Weaver Street near the Southfield Freeway just south of I-96.
Reports from the scene indicate that the fire started on the second floor and quickly spread to the third before moving across the building. Some residents were forced to jump from windows on the upper floors to escape the blaze.
Resident Willie Barben said he was asleep when the fire broke out.
"[I woke up] to a real hard knock on the door. I thought it was somebody in trouble and when I opened the door it was very, very smoky," Barben told WWJ's Vickie Thomas. "I saw people jumping out the back of the building, off the second floor. I saw a young lady jump and they was trying to get another woman with another man throwing his shoe at the window, trying to break it."
Acting Fire Chief Tom Wickman praised the firefighters, whose timely response limited the damage.
"It could have been a lot worse. The very quick actions of a very dedicated and tremendous crew of firefighters, there's a reason why we're the best in the world and this is proof in the pudding right here. They did a tremendous job in knocking that fire down and keeping it from spreading any further," he said.
At this point, it's unclear if how many people were injured. A cause of the fire is under investigation.
The American Red Cross has been notified to help residents displaced by the fire.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
