(WXYZ) — Detroit fire crews battled two house fires for hours early Monday morning.
The first fire happened in the area of Goethe and Hurlbut streets on the city's east side, and the second was less than five miles away in the area of Linnhurst and Gratiot.
The fire on Linnhurst was still active during the 5 a.m. hour, with flames shooting out of the roof and fire crews taking a defensive position sending water from the ground.
At the initial fire on Goethe, we know residents left for maybe an hour around 11 p.m. and came back to their home in flames and the roof caved in.
Crews took about 45 minutes to get the fire under control. The chief said it started on the second floor and quickly burned through walls and the roof.
Freezing temperatures also made the job harder for crews. top of the floor of the attic. Yea we’re not having any luck hitting it with the tower. The fire’s underneath hat roof
"As you see it’s really slippery out. The rigs were freezing up. The lines freezing up," DFD Chief Paheng Kue said. "Initially, it seemed like it was going to be frozen, but it thawed up quick."
The cause of the first fire is under investigation, and the chief said they are working on connecting displaced residents with the American red Cross.
