DETROIT – Some neighbors are planning to increase community patrols after a fire at a vacant house on Detroit’s east side.
Firefighters quickly responded to a fire on Warren Avenue, near Elmwood Street, early Thursday morning. Neighbors said they saw fire and smoke billowing from the vacant house and spreading dangerously close to a home next door.
“There’s been a lot of fires on this particular street, within the past year or so,” explained Mrs. Dee of the community group 48207-11 Grassroots Detroiters.
The Grassroots Detroiters serves the area and works with neighbors to help keep the community safe.
Related: Grassroots group provides services to Detroiters while beating its own challenges
“This was a beautiful home,” Mrs. Dee said while looking at the burned house. “Absolutely beautiful home.”
Grassroots Detroiters said fires like this, especially at vacant houses in the area, are a red flag. They believe there’s cause for concern.
“That house, I believe, has been set on fire before,” Mrs. Dee said. “And then just on this stretch of East Warren, within like two weeks, there like six or seven fires. So, it’s very suspicious.”
While Detroit firefighters responded to the scene quickly and in strong numbers, on Thursday, neighbors have yet to learn what caused the fire.
Members of the 48207-11 Grassroots Detroiters are urging neighbors to be vigilant.
“We have to stick together,” Mrs. Dee said. “We’ll be out doing more patrols. We patrol anyway, but we’re going to have to increase our patrols and be more connected with one another.”
A representative from the Detroit Fire Department said it’s fortunate no one was injured, and the fire remains under investigation.