Residents Say Scrappers Woke Them Up After Apartments Catch Fire In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ) - Residents in a southwest Detroit apartment building got a rude awakening Wednesday morning -- apparently by the very people who sparked a fire at their home.
The situation unfolded at a two-story brick building on Rathbone and Lawndale streets, not far from I-75 and Springwells Street, where two of the six apartment units are occupied.
Becky Dorie, who lives in the building with her pregnant daughter Charlotte, said the people who started the fire actually woke her up before fleeing the scene.
"They were taking out the water tank and the furnace and it caught fire," Dorie told WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Curtis Jones, another resident, said he was sleeping when he heard someone yelling from the hallway outside.
"They came and knocked on my door. They told me to get out, the building's on fire," he said.
Firefighters quickly responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze. No injuries were reported, but Charlotte Dorie said she had a close call trying to escape the fire.
"It was kind of scary," she said. "When they woke me up and told us to come downstairs, I actually fell down the stairs and I'm seven-months pregnant. I'm fine. My back hurts a little bit but my baby's still moving."
Authorities say it does appear the fire was caused by scrappers, although an official cause remains under investigation.
