DETROIT (WXYZ) — Multiple house fires swept through Detroit between Monday night and Tuesday morning, displacing several families but resulting in no fatalities after residents managed to escape safely.
The blazes follow a pair of fatal house fires that claimed the lives of four people Sunday and Monday, prompting Detroit Fire Department officials to emphasize fire safety measures.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below:
Jerome Hill fought back flames at his home on Ashland Street on Detroit's east side early Tuesday morning, buying crucial time for his wife and their 13 children to evacuate safely.
"Now you see where I said I was in here fighting the fire," Hill said, showing where he battled the blaze.
Hill said a fire extinguisher he kept by his bed was his guardian angel.
"This is the one I grabbed. This is the biggest one. I had this by my bed," Hill said.
The fire on Ashland was one of several that occurred in Detroit during the overnight period. Another blaze damaged vacant homes and displaced a family on Dwyer Avenue near 7 Mile Road.
"I've never felt heat that close and to see it hit my house and to think my animals, my wife, my kids are in here — it's just me trying to get everybody out the house. It's just insane," said Joel Whitner, a homeowner affected by the fires.
At a fire on Charest Street near Conant Street, Isaiah Reasonover said he's grateful to have survived after making a dramatic escape.
"I had to jump out the window. I woke up, the whole upstairs was already gone, engulfed in flames," Reasonover said.
Watch our coverage about the fires earlier this week below:
Investigators have determined the cause of one of the fatal fires on Wildemere Street near 7 Mile Road.
"We narrowed the cause down to being an electrical event that started a fire and the available combustibles in the area helped spread it," said Chief Dennis Richardson with the Detroit Fire Department Fire Investigations Division.
Watch Chopper 7 video of crews battling a fire this week below:
Capt. Edward Davis with the Detroit Fire Department emphasized the importance of fire safety and prevention measures.
"Our first line of defense is smoke detectors: having them in the home and making sure they're working properly. They should be checked every week," Davis said.
Davis stressed that space heaters should be plugged directly into wall outlets, not extension cords, should be kept on flat surfaces and never left unattended.
"Because that's when the incidents are happening from what we're finding," Davis said.
Fire officials also emphasized the importance of having an escape plan.
"In the event of an emergency, what are two ways to get out of the room, out of the home, where are families meeting up? How do we alert other members in the home?" Davis said.
Although the investigation into Hill's house fire is ongoing, he suspects a space heater is to blame.
"My daughter, she turned the heater up, a space heater," Hill said.
The city of Detroit offers resources for those burned out of their homes, including emergency housing. If you are having a housing crisis or need emergency shelter, please call the Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine at 866-313-2520.
A city of Detroit spokesperson said it has been in contact with those recently impacted by the house fires.
Reasonover's family has a fundraiser set up to help them rebuild. If you'd like to donate, visit their GoFundMe page.
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