DETROIT (WXYZ) — Firefighters in Detroit faced dangerous conditions Monday as they battled multiple fires while temperatures plummeted to subzero wind chills across metro Detroit.
Watch Peter Maxwell's video report below:
The Detroit Fire Department responded to several fires throughout the city, including a major blaze at Detroit Disposal and Recycling off Russell Street and Milwaukee Avenue. Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles as gusty winds and subzero wind chills made the fire difficult to extinguish.
"Any kind of a fire that we go to, any incident EMS or fire, we're going to be struggling with the cold," said Troy Klann, a Detroit Fire Department battalion chief.
Firefighters eventually gained control of the fire. No one was injured and the cause remains under investigation.
The extreme cold creates additional challenges for firefighting operations. Water freezes almost as quickly as it flows, coating equipment and creating hazardous ice conditions on streets and sidewalks.
"Everything freezes. There's lots of ice down there that the rigs get coated, we get coated, lots of stuff breaks. The rigs are struggling," Klann said.
The weight of ice from water used to fight the fire even snapped a utility pole near the scene.
The frigid temperatures also impact firefighters themselves, requiring crews to rotate personnel more frequently to prevent cold-related injuries.
"We do try to rotate them in and out on the scene and then once we get to a certain point, just everybody goes and new people come in," Klann said.
On Detroit's west side, firefighters responded to another fire on Meyers Road, where they rescued 61-year-old Khimley Young from the second floor of her home.
"So I had to end up getting pulled from outside the porch here," Young said.
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Young told reporters this was not her first house fire rescue — she was also rescued from a house fire when she was 9 years old.
"I am glad that I am OK as far as body-wise. Mentally, I've got a little something to go through, but I'll be alright," Young said.
Despite the challenging conditions, firefighters remain committed to their mission of protecting the community.
"I am proud of these guys for being out here," Klann said.
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