GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. – Residents are expressing concerns about a firefighting response by the city of Grosse Pointe Park. The Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department responded to the June 15 blaze near Mack and Lakepointe, in Grosse Pointe Park.
Neighbors say firefighters were on the scene without access to water to extinguish the blaze that destroyed one house and damaged several others.
From their balconies and driveways, neighbors watched as what started as a small garage fire became an inferno.
No one was injured, but cell phone video captured firefighters on site for at least 15 minutes without water as the blaze grew and spread.
Two weeks later, neighbors are comparing notes.
“The safety officers that were here didn’t get water on the fire for 20-25 minutes,” said Jason Dougherty, who lives across the ally from the burned house.
A group of neighbors told Local 4 they’re still stunned by how long the fire burned, so close to their homes.
The fire was eventually extinguished when Detroit fire crews arrived on the scene. Officials said DFD was on a run nearby, heard about the fire and stepped in to help.
Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department Chief Jim Bostock said the problem was a mechanical glitch.
“It appears to be a one-off issue,” Bostock said. “There was 500 gallons of water on the truck. For some reason, they could not get the pump to engage to actually push the water out in volume that we needed at the time.”
Like many places, Grosse Pointe Park has combined fire and police forces -- a Public Safety department – in which the same staff who do police work also put out fires.
Neighbors suggested public safety officers may not have enough experience fighting fires, but Bostock insists his department functions just fine. He said he’s looking into the problems his officers experienced that day.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.