February: Fires broke out in 163 structures, killing at least 5 people as rigs break down

2/7

Time: 2:41 p.m.
Address: 6228 Ashton
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: EMS requested for possible civilians inside. When firefighters arrived, all civilians were out of the house. EMS showed up within 7 minutes. Extra company was sent for help. The closest fire hydrant was out of service, so firefighters relied on hoses connected to the rigs’ booster tank.
Companies: C2, E55, E57, L27, S3, E53
Fire out: 2:58 p.m.
Companies clear scene: 3:34 p.m.

Time: 3:40 p.m.
Address: 16809 Greydale
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Combustible too close
Details: Ladder 17’s steering malfunctioned so it couldn’t respond. The fire was from a mattress in the basement.
Companies: E54, E59, S5
Companies clear scene: 4:23 p.m.

Time: 10:47 p.m.
Address: 6539 Woodrow
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Accelerant
Details: Reported as a vacant house fire. Squad 4 said there was a small fire but it burned longer than expected.
Companies: E34, E42, C5, L22, S4
Fire out: 11:17 p.m.
Companies clear scene: 11:30 p.m.

2/8

Time: 2:07 a.m.
Address: 1535 McClellen
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Combustible too close.
Details: Fire on the first floor of a multi-family house.
Companies: C6, S3, L6, E9, E41

Time: 10:24 a.m.
Address: 1535 McClellen
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Rekindle
Details:
Companies: L6, S3, E41
Companies clear scene: 11:06 a.m.

Time: 5:14 p.m.
Address: 1535 McClellen
Building type:
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: All occupants were out of the house
Companies: E9, E41, L6, S3, C6, E1, E52
Companies clear scene: 6:37 p.m.

Time: 11:03 p.m.
Address: 2650 Springle
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Two-family house engulfed when firefighters arrived. Firefighters took a defensive posture. The chief reported the fire was under control at 12:31 a.m. Engine 41 and 52 were out of service after the fire because of frozen lines.
Companies: C6, S6, L31, E41, E52
Rehab time: 1 hour

2/9

Time: 12:38 a.m.
Address: 12244 Maiden
Building type: 3 house
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: House engulfed and eventually collapsed. The fire rekindled several times over the next 8 hours.
Companies: E46, S3, C9, E50, L23, E9
Companies clear scene: 2:13 a.m.

Time: 8:13 a.m.
Address: 20450 Danbury
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Small fire handled by Ladder 18.
Companies: L18

Time: 8:17 a.m.
Address: 13141 Flanders
Building type: Apartment
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Fire in a 3-story vacant apartment. Firefighters made an interior attack on the first and second floors. At 8:31 a.m., the chief told firefighters to soon come out because of the dangers.
Companies: E50, E46, S6, E58, L23, C9, E52

Time: 8:54 a.m.
Address: 14295 Troester
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: The first arriving engine and truck handled.
Companies: E60, L31

2/10

Time: 1:38 a.m.
Address: 15354 Tuller
Building type: House
Occupancy:Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Squad 5 reported at 3:48 a.m. that the house was occupied. Ladder 18 took 13+ minutes to respond because of the distance. Firefighters made an interior attack. At 1:52 a.m., the chief said the house was vacant and called off EMS and Ladder 18. The house later collapsed.
Companies: E30, C8, L18, S5, E40, L17
Fire out: 2:38 a.m.

Time: 2:46 a.m.
Address: 2919 Beals
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Firefighters took a defensive posture, letting the house burn while protecting the adjacent structures. Ladder 6 took 9+ minutes to respond because of the distance. No searchers were possible because the house collapsed.
Companies: C6, E41, E46, L6, S3
Fire out: 5:03 p.m.

Time: 4:08 a.m.
Address: 3586 Anderdon
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Short circuit
Details: Chief 9 reported a small fire.
Companies: E52, L31, C9, E58, S6
Companies clear scene: 4:37 a.m.

Time: 11:17 a.m.
Address: 13101 W. McNichols
Building type: Commercial
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Lack of maintenance
Details: Small fire, handled by the first arriving engine and ladder truck.
Companies: L17, E53

Time: 6:23 p.m.
Address: 20220 Bramford
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: The fire was under control by 6:50 p.m.
Companies: E56, L23, S3, E60, C9
Companies clear scene: 7:44 p.m.

2/11

Time: 10:34 a.m.
Address: 15703 Forrer
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: None given
Details: Engine 53 was called to check on a fire alarm at a house. Engine 53 arrived on the scene about two minutes later and discovered the house was on fire. Dispatch sent more firefighters (box alarm). At 10:44 a.m., Engine 30 requested EMS for standby, saying the house may be occupied.
Companies: E53, C4, E30, L27, S1

Time: 2:49 p.m.
Address: 13815 Conant
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: The attic in this two-story vacant house was engulfed when firefighters arrived. Two extra companies were called for help. Squad 5 took nearly 11 minutes to arrive because of the distance. Firefighters made an interior attack. Most of the fire was in the attic. Fire was under control at 3:11 p.m. A thorough overhaul couldn’t be completed because of the dangerous condition of the building.
Companies: E56, E44, L18, S5, C8, HM1, E40
Companies clear scene: 3:54 p.m.

Time: 3:08 p.m.
Address: 20175 Sheffield
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Short circuit
Details: First company, Engine 53, arrived nearly 8 minutes after being called because of the distance. Engine 30 arrived about 10 minutes after the call. Squad 1 took 12 minutes. The longer response times are a dangerous product of fire station closures in 2012. Firefighters said the fire appeared to have started by an electrical problem in an upper-level bedroom.
Companies clear scene: 3:48 p.m.
Companies: E30, E53, HPL1, C4, S1

Time: 5:32 p.m.
Address: 3500 Gray
Building type: Two-family flat
Occupancy: Unknown
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: EMS was requested at the same time as firefighters for standby. The house was engulfed when firefighters arrived. An extra company was requested for manpower. The chief arrived 17 minutes after being called, and at 5:52 p.m. he called for two more engines. Dispatch neglected to call the extra companies because of miscommunication, and at 6:15 p.m., the chief said he only needed one. An illegal gas hook-up was found.
Companies: E41, E52, L31, S6, C6, E50
Fire out: 6:49 p.m.

Time: 5:34 p.m.
Address: 2988 Concord
Building type: Two-family flat
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Improper container
Details: Firefighters spotted light smoke and discovered a fire inside a two-family flat.
Companies: E9, E46, L6, S3, C1

Time: 10:02 p.m.
Address: 9603 Edgewood
Building type: Camper
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Firefighters found a body inside a burning camper at 10:14 p.m. The 911 caller warned that someone lived in the camper but that information was never conveyed to firefighters. An arson investigator arrived on scene at 10:49 p.m.
Companies: E46, C9

2/12

Time: 11:32 a.m.
Address: 14014 Hazelridge
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: Fire on the upper level of a house. A civilian was injured.
Companies: S3, L23, E50, E46, C9

Time: 5:25 p.m.
Address: 13557 Conant
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Firefighters requested another company for manpower and made an interior attack. A full search of the house was impossible because the dwelling partially collapsed and was too dangerous too enter.
Companies: L18, E44, C8, E56, S3, HME1

Time: 7:14 p.m.
Address: 2996 Fischer
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: EMS was called at the same time as firefighters because of a suspected occupied house. Firefighters immediately found a lifeless man on the first floor in the kitchen area and launched a search for a second victim. At 7:45 p.m., the chief said firefighters were searching for a female victim but it appeared she was not home at the time of the fire. EMS arrived to the scene within 7 minutes, an impressive response time for them. At 8:28 p.m., an arson investigator gave a 10-minute ETA. The man was pronounced dead. Engine 41 was out of service with frozen lines.
Companies: L6, E41, E9, S6, C5, E46, E52
Fire out: 8:05 p.m.

Time: 9:36 p.m.
Address: 4039 Hazelwood 
Building type: House
Occupancy: Unknown
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: The fire burned through the roof. E39 was out of service with frozen lines. A pit bull was left behind.
Companies: E34, E39, L7, C5, S4, E42
Fire out: 10:43 p.m.
Companies clear scene: 11:08 p.m.

2/13

Time: 12:40 a.m.
Address: 16008 Hackett
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: Chief requested EMS for standby.
Companies: E53, L26, C4, E59, S1

Time: 3:15 a.m.
Address: 9700 Kensington
Building type: House
Occupancy: Unknown
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: Firefighters knocked down the fire within 15-20 minutes, preventing the house from becoming engulfed.
Companies: C9, E58, S6, L31, E52

Time: 3:34 a.m.
Address: 18038 Bradford
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Kitchen fire that spread
Details: Firefighters made an aggressive attack, preventing the kitchen fire from consuming the house. EMS requested at the onset for a possible injured civilian.
Companies: C8, E60, E46, L23, S3
Companies clear scene: 4:35 a.m.

Time: 6:13 a.m.
Address: 15373 Hartwell
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Short circuit
Details: EMS was requested because the house was occupied.
Companies: E30, L17

Time: 9:33 a.m.
Address: 5001 Lovett
Building type: House
Occupancy: Vacant
Preliminary cause: Suspicious
Details: The house was engulfed when firefighters arrived. An additional company was sent for manpower. Full search of the house was impossible because the structure collapsed.
Companies: E34, L22, C2, E42, S4, E27
Fire out: 11:21 a.m.

Time: 12:14 p.m.
Address: 4019 Baldwin
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Combustible too close.
Details: Chief requested animal control because a pit bull was in the house. Firefighters found an illegal electrical hookup in the basement.
Companies: C6, L6, E9, E41, S3
Fire out: 1:06 p.m.

Time: 6:10 p.m.
Address: 18966 Algonac
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Too close to a combustible
Details: An engine and ladder truck were called to investigate smoke in the basement of a house. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames and called for a box alarm.
Companies: L23, S6, E60, E50, C9
Fire out: 7:03 p.m.
Companies clear scene: 7:12 p.m.

Time: 9:05 p.m.
Address: 4901 Vinewood
Building type: House
Occupancy: Occupied
Preliminary cause: Unknown
Details: Small fire in the basement. Fire was under control at 9:16 p.m.
Companies: L22, E34, E42, S4, C5

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