DETROIT – A man was killed and a woman was seriously injured Monday in a house fire on Detroit’s west side, firefighters said.
The fire started Monday morning (Feb. 21) in the 9000 block of Braile Street, near Evergreen and Joy roads.
The man and woman living in the home are in their 80s, officials said. They had to be pulled out of the building.
Officials with the Detroit Fire Department confirmed that the man didn’t survive. The woman is in extremely critical condition, they said.
Residents said this is the type of area where people know each other well. Neighbors gathered at the scene of the fire as officials tried to unpack what happened.
Neighbor Stephen Sigmon saw what was happening.
“When he kicked the door in, that’s when all the smoke -- it was just black smoke, thick -- just came out of the side door, and when he kicked in the front door, it really just, ‘poof,’ like backdraft,” Sigmon said. “It really came out.”
He said he didn’t see any flames, but there was lots of smoke and the roof of the home started to emit smoke, as well.
“I was just, like, ‘Man, I hope they’re OK,’” Sigmon said.