DETROIT – Two firefighters have been rescued after they were trapped under debris when a vacant burning building collapsed in Detroit, officials said.
The fire started around 1:30 p.m. Thursday (July 28) at a building on Hollywood Avenue, near 7 Mile Road and John R Street in Detroit.
Harris said the firefighters were initially called to the location on reports of a house fire. While they were there, the vacant building collapsed.
Five firefighters walked out of the home right after it collapsed, and even though they didn’t want to stop to receive treatment, EMS officials checked on them and provided water and oxygen. Three of them were transported to the hospital, Harris said.
Two firefighters were trapped, but they were both rescued.
“He’s conscious, he’s talking to us,” Harris said of the final firefighter who was rescued. “We’re in the process of getting him out and getting him transported to the hospital.”
Harris said the final trapped firefighter was underneath approximately a foot and a half of plaster and/or wood.
“It’s our worst nightmare,” Harris said.
Sources told Local 4 that this was the third fire on Hollywood Avenue on Thursday. The first happened at 4:30 a.m.
Another fire was reported on that street on Monday, according to sources.
Here is the mayday call from this incident, via Broadcastify:
You can listen to the chief’s full comments below.
