Detroit Firefighter Injured In Blaze On City's West Side
DETROIT (WWJ) - Officials said at least one firefighter was hurt while battling a blaze at an apartment building on Detroit's west side.
The fire broke out just before 11 p.m. Christmas Day at the two-story building on Boston Boulevard and Dexter Avenue, not far from Joy Road and I-96.
Officials confirmed one firefighter suffered burns while trying to extinguish the flames, although his current condition in unknown. Other firefighters were reportedly trapped inside their truck when power lines came down on top of their rig.
Robin Yarbrough, who lives on the building's first floor, told WWJ's Vickie Thomas she was so rushed to escape the flames, she couldn't find her beloved pet.
"We came out and you could see all the fire up at the top," she said. "[A firefighter] told me 'You're out here raving about your dog when two of my firefighters just got hurt trying to save y'all building.' But I was still looking for my dog," she said.
Yarbrough is among several residents who have been forced to look for another home, at least temporarily, because of the fire.
"I'm just sitting out here, waiting until daylight come, waiting until the U-Haul truck come, and I'm fitting to get what I can get out. But I lost a lot of stuff, my bedroom set and my furniture, my Christmas presents," she said.
The American Red Cross has been contacted to help displaced residents.
Arson investigators went to the scene to look for a cause of the fire, but weren't able to get into the building because the roof collapsed. An investigation is ongoing.
