2 Firefighters Hurt Battling Detroit School Blaze
DETROIT (WWJ) - Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at a vacant high school on Detroit's northwest side.
The fire broke out late Thursday morning at the former Redford High School at McNichols and Grand River. The school has been closed for several years.
Senior Fire Chief Michael Heron said one firefighter twisted his knee and another suffered from heat exhaustion.
"We're fortunate that we're limited to that amount of injury because of the structure of the his building and the amount heat that we had to deal with," Heron told WWJ Newsradio 950's Mike Campbell.
Firefighters talking to Campbell said conditions on the third floor were "brutally hot."
Around 10:30 a.m., Heron said the blaze was pretty much under control.
"We're about to downgrade this and we're going to release some of the companies now because it's very hot out there," said Heron. "We're going to get the guys back into where they can get some water and cool down a little bit."
The fire brought out alumni who sat on the football field, chanting, "Sweet, sweet Redford High!" and watching as crews battled the flames.
"Two-thousand-seven was the last year to graduate out of Red. We're still unified as Huskies, that's what it's all about," one Redford graduate said.
The fire was extinguished by 11 a.m.
No other injuries were reported.
Arson investigators have been called to look into the cause of the fire that appeared to have stared in the gymnasium.
