Detroit firefighters honored for rescuing 3 people from burning apartment complex

DETROIT – Every month the Detroit Fire Department takes time to recognize those who go above and beyond, like two paramedics who spent their own money to buy a family winter coats.

  • Watch the video above for Nick Monacelli's full story.

One story that really stood out is about firefighters who saved three people from a burning apartment, and they did it without the gear they'd normally have.

Three months after the fire, Detroit firefighters are sharing their story. The fire happened on Thanksgiving Day. At 10:30 p.m. a fire broke out in an apartment complex.

Firefighter Nashanique Webster was the first one out of the engine.

"It's a crazy scene, you pull up and you see that and now you got people screaming at you that someone is trapped," Webster said.

Without a fire hose and with no water to fight the flames, Webster and others ran into the building and found a severely burned woman in the stairwell and another trapped.

While they were shielding the victims from the flames, Sgt. Maurice Funchess was downstairs.

"We rescued one down below. He was an elderly man in a wheelchair that needed to get out," Funchess said.

All three people rescued from the fire survived.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world," Webster said.

Dozens of firefighters, EMTs and arson investigators were awarded Tuesday. That includes a Detroit woman who saved a man's life.


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.