Fire destroys vacant apartment building on Detroit's west side; no injuries reported
Detroit firefighters battled a blaze for several hours early Thursday, leaving a vacant, westside apartment building in ruins.
The raging fire — in the 11400 block of Nardin Park, north of I-96 and Grand River — broke out at about 6:30 a.m. and took nearly four hours to douse, Detroit Fire Chief James Harris said. Fortunately, he added, no one was injured in the blaze or fighting it.
"It was a big structure," he said at about 10:30 a.m. "We're still hitting some hot spots, but we're just about finished."
WXYZ-TV broadcast video of the fire, which showed smoke and flames reaching the dark, pre-dawn sky.
The four-story building was a total loss, the chief he said.
More: Young pilot, veteran reunite to recount emergency landing in Oakland County
More: Kiss to play one final Detroit show in the city that embraced the band first
Arson investigators are looking into the cause, sifting through the rubble for clues. But, Harris said, it's possible that with the cold weather, the blaze could have been sparked by squatters who sought refuge in the building and lit a fire to try to keep warm.
"We've got warming shelters throughout the city," he added. "If you need to stay warm, please don't squat in any vacant buildings. Just reach out, and we'll find you some place warm. We don't want anybody trying to keep warm by lighting fires."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit firefighters battle massive apartment blaze, investigate cause
