Crews battle fire at senior apartment complex in Detroit

4-alarm fire reported

DETROIT – Crews battled a fire at a senior apartment complex Monday night on Detroit's east side.

MORE: Crews rescue seniors from fire that destroyed Detroit apartment complex

The fire started about 7:30 p.m. at the Rev. Ann Johnson Elderly Apartments on Mack Avenue, near Gray Street.

A fire rips through Rev. Ann Johnson Elderly Apartments in Detroit on Sept. 23, 2019. (WDIV)

Officials believe the three-story, 54-unit building is a total loss.

The fire was so big that winds caused another building across Mack Avenue to catch fire.

"A wind-pushed fire is very tough for us," said Capt. Dave Fornell, with the Detroit Fire Department.

Crews were going through the building, trying to find residents who needed help to get out.

"At the end of the day, we're going to do a walk through this location to see if we can find any other individuals that are unaccounted for," Chief Eric Jones said.

Four tenants, two police officers and a firefighter were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

There were fears that not everyone made it out of the building, but on Tuesday it was confirmed everyone is OK.


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Jason is Local 4’s utility infielder. In addition to anchoring the morning newscast, he often reports on a variety of stories from the tragic, like the shootings at Michigan State, to the off-beat, like great gas station food.

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