DETROIT – An arson that was started in a dumpster is being blamed for setting a southwest Detroit apartment building on fire early Tuesday morning.
The fire jumped from the dumpster to the building through an apartment at Toledo and Lansing streets just before 6 a.m.
Patty Wentz was inside that apartment with three other people and her pets.
"All I saw was a bunch of fire coming through the back window," Wentz said.
Her daughter helped get her out, along with two other women.
Neighbors jumped in to help save Wentz's pets.
"When I noticed that she didn't have her cats, we ran back in there and I was screaming for the fireman to please, 'Get the cats, get the cats.' I got the cats out," said Tammy Cooper.
Fire investigators said the building did have smoke detectors that went off and are hailing the building manager as a hero for going door to door to make sure people got out.
There is a person of interest being questioned by arson investigators.