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SOUTHFIELD — On Christmas morning at 6:26 a.m., the Southfield Fire Department responded to 24000 Walden Road to find the five-unit townhouse complex on fire.
“It had a pretty good head start on us,” Southfield Fire Department Chief Johnny Menifee said. “I think the men and women of the Southfield Fire Department, as well as our mutual aid partners, did an incredible job to try to save as much of the building as they could, and make sure that there’s no loss of life, so that’s what I’m thankful for,” Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee said.
Five additional fire departments part of OAKWAY Mutual Aid responded to the two-alarm fire to assist Southfield firefighters, including Ferndale, Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield and Madison Heights.
“We did have two injuries that resulted in people getting hospitalized, but I think it could have been a lot worse on Christmas, and it’s always heightened when it’s on Christmas,” Menifee said. “Extra feelings go out for the families and the neighbors and the firefighters, but I think they did an amazing job (with) what they were faced with to help mitigate this incident.”
The Southfield Fire Department made an immediate offensive attack, including fire suppression and search and rescue.
One of the two people that was injured was treated at the scene, with the other was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
Menifee shared that the fire took around three hours to put out.
“We had some challenges,” he said. “There was some fire that was trapped between the brick wall, behind the brick wall of one of the residents, so it took a while to try to maneuver it and make sure that everything was put out.”
According to Menifee, the structure is deemed uninhabitable, and work continues to place families in temporary housing.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
For more information on fire safety, visit www.cityofsouthfield.com/fire-safety.
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