Former Training Gym To Tommy 'Hitman' Hearns A Total Loss In Fire Deemed Suspicious

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - The fabled Kronk Gym building in Detroit, where boxing champion Tommy Hearns and others trained, has been destroyed by fire.

Detroit Deputy Fire chief Dave Fornell  said they got the call on Saturday night.

"We got the call about 9:25 last night," Fornell told WWJ. "And the first arriving companies found heavy fire, and actually heavy smoke, it was just rolling across from McGraw (Avenue) -- and so we stretched lines trying to get into the building, they found the second floor totally involved - as they tried to work up there - there was just a lot of fire shooting from the outside of the building. So, the chief decided to get everyone out for their own safety. So they pulled them out of the building and we went to what we call a defensive attack - surrounded the building with aerial streams and that sort of thing."

The roof later collapsed.

The southwest Detroit gym -- abandoned for more than 10 years now -- was founded in the 1920's by Emanuel Steward.

Fornell says the fire is being investigated as suspicious. There were no reported injures.

Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for more on this story.