WDIV
Reprinted with Permission

DETROIT - Firefighters battled the heat, as well as smoke and flames, as four homes burned on Detroit’s west side Sunday. Miles away, also on the city’s west side, an abandoned house exploded.


The Detroit Fire Chief told Local 4 that he believes the source of the four-house fire was intentionally set.

The four homes that burned were located on 5600 block of Parkdale Terrace on Detroit’s west side.

Three of the homes were vacant and one was occupied.

Fire officials believe the source of the fire was intentionally set in an abandoned home that eventually collapsed.

Lena Smith lives in the occupied home, which received minor damage.

Smith was nearby at a friend’s house when she got the news the house she shared with her boyfriend and future mother-in-law was in danger.

“I just got a text message telling me that I need to come check on my mother because the house blew up,” Smith said.

Smith ran to the scene to find that everyone was OK.

The house only suffered minor damage, but Smith knew they were lucky.

“I have people I care about in that house and I know anything could have happened,” Smith said.

The block was blanketed in smoke after the fire started after 3:15 p.m.

Detroit Battalion Chief Bob Latka told Local 4 that the intensity and speed of flames was suspicious.

“In this case so much fire and so many houses in the middle of the afternoon, it's probably arson,” Latka said.

Firefighters battled the blaze in over 90 degree heat.

The heat and flames took a toll on the firefighters.

Major King is a Detroit firefighter who fought the inferno.

“Super hot in there, the sweat doesn’t go anywhere in your coat so it’s easy for us to be over-exerted in there,” King said.

A makeshift cooling station was formed at the end of the street to keep firefighters hydrated.

Firefighters took brief breaks before going back into put out all the pockets of fire.

The abandoned house where the fire was set has collapsed.

Fire officials need the flames to cool before they can investigate.

Local 4 has also learned of a house that exploded on Detroit’s west side Sunday afternoon.

Fire officials told Local 4 that an abandoned home near Rutherford and Schoolcraft exploded because of a gas leak.

That house has since collapsed.

Fire officials are investigating if arson was involved.