Hazel Park house fire leaves two dead

HAZEL PARK — Two women died from smoke inhalation in what officials say is Hazel Park’s first fatal fire in more than 10 years.

Authorities received word of the fire around 5 a.m. Friday, July 12. A concerned citizen who was driving down Eight Mile Road noticed heavy smoke rising from the area of East Muir Avenue near Dequindre Road. The driver turned around, located the source and called 911 with the address of the home: 1561 E. Muir Ave.

Hazel Park Fire Chief Richard Story said the ranch-style home was likely burning for at least an hour prior to someone noticing. Firefighters from Hazel Park and Madison Heights raced to the scene and found smoke billowing from the structure, which was engulfed in fire. The front door appeared to be obstructed by bars and debris on the opposite side, preventing entry, so firefighters made a tactical decision to start dousing the fire from the rear of the house.

Once the fire had been partially knocked down, entry was made and two victims were located. Both were found dead from smoke inhalation. One victim, an 80-year-old woman, was found in the bedroom. Her daughter, 59, was found near the front door.

The fire appears to have started in a family room in the back of the home. One possible cause is an improperly disposed cigarette. Story noted that the 80-year-old has had close calls with careless smoking in the past. He also noted that there was an overabundance of electrical cables plugged into the room. Either could have been the cause. Stacks of wood for a fireplace nearby may have fed the flames. At press time, no foul play was suspected.

After locating the bodies, firefighters continued to extinguish the blaze, putting out hot spots. The fire was fully controlled by 6:30 a.m. The heat had been so intense that the siding on a neighbor’s detached single-car garage melted away, despite a separation of roughly 40 feet.

The roof on the home caved in over two different rooms, and three rooms were fully destroyed. The rest of the structure was damaged by heat and smoke. The building has been declared a total loss.

At least one household cat was also found dead. At press time, two other cats appeared to be missing, and family members were searching the neighborhood for them.

Story said the fire was especially tragic, since there were no smoke detectors in the home that could have helped prevent it.

“We give away smoke detectors at the Fire Department,” Story said, referring to the fire station located at 22830 Russell Ave. “We give them away for free if you live in the city. Just show your ID.”

He offered his condolences to the family of the victims.

“I only spoke to the brother-in-law, but we’re here for them, both myself as a human and our entire Fire Department,” Story said. “We have a business line, and they can find us easily. Our hearts go out to them.”

The chief said he’s proud of how the firefighters handled the situation. He said that counseling is available to them if they need it.

“They did exactly what they should with all their knowledge and experience. I couldn’t be more proud of them, both my firefighters and the ones from Madison Heights,” Story said. “We deal with matters of life and death all the time, but usually when people die, it’s from a medical issue or something like a motor vehicle. Deaths from a structure fire are unusual. But at the end of the day, that’s why we’re here — to try and protect life and property.”

He also commended the driver who alerted first responders to the fire.

“That person was probably on their way to work and could have dismissed it all as a bonfire, but they still took the time to respond. We owe them a huge thank you, because they might have made the difference with their call. The fact that they took the time means volumes and shows that humanity still has good people who care, pay attention, and try to help.”