WDIV
Reprinted with Permission

DETROIT - Investigations into the causes of more than 80 structure fires in Detroit on Tuesday continues. City officials have said the fires were likely sparked by downed power lines and fueled by winds of up to 50 mph. However, fire investigators also said at least two fires are being called likely cases of arson.


Tuesday's fires swept though several neighborhoods, including some that were well-tended and others filled with deteriorating vacant houses and weed-filled lots. Detroit Fire Commissioner James Mack said it was the worst spate of fires since the 1980s, when firefighters regularly battled hundreds of arsons on the night before Halloween. No injuries were reported, but people in some charred areas complained that firefighters took as much as 90 minutes to respond.

"As far as assigning accountability, our arson investigators are investigating the fires. So, we're going to determine what they are. Once we determine what they are, that's where the accountability will be assigned," Mack said.

When questioned about whether illegal power hook-ups found to be responsible for any fires would be classified as arson, Mack said, "Maybe not potentially arson, but they would be the cause of the fire. We'd have to take it from there."

Mack said it would be hard for authorities to pursue people responsible for illegal hooks-ups.

"We're going to pursue them as far as we can, but it's going to be kind of difficult because if you've got an electrical hook-up, you may have been squatting in the home, so you may not be the owner of the home," he said. "Then you have to prove who did the illegal hook-ups. That may be a little difficult."

Alonzo Rush, who lives in northwestern Detroit, said he heard what he believed were "pops" from an electrical transformer box before a fire started near his home.

It took 90 minutes for a fire truck to arrive, by which time several nearby homes were aflame, the 62-year-old retired auto worker said.

"We called. All the neighbors called, but we didn't get an answer at 911. ... We're not getting the services we once had and what we're paying for," Rush said.

Many homeowners grabbed garden hoses to protect their properties.

"I grabbed a hose, Linda grabbed a hose," Rush said pointing to the woman who lives next door. "We were watering what we could. We were thinking it was going to come this way, but it jumped over our houses."

Several off-duty firefighters showed up to help the two truck crews initially dispatched to the neighborhood, said Kevin Mays, 45, whose two vacant homes suffered minor damage.

"The city does what it can, but we've got so many problems, who knows how long it will be -- if it ever gets right again," he said.

Mack said he was very satisfied with the way the department handled the calls.

"My chest is still out. My guys worked very hard, they didn't take breaks and they went from fire to fire to fire. The central office stayed right on the radio, guiding them to where they needed to go," he said. "I have to have nothing but pride and kudos for the men and women of the Detroit Fire Department."

Mayor Dave Bing defended city crews, saying officials "can do all the planning in the world, but when something of this magnitude hits any city, you just have to respond." He called the fires a "natural disaster."

Money also is an issue. Faced with a budget deficit of at least $85 million, Detroit has had to cut costs in almost every department, including fire operations. About $4 million has been trimmed from the Fire Department's budget.

The department has about 500 firefighters, about 20 fewer than last year, Mack said.