With urgent shouts and door pounding, Macomb sheriff's deputies helped rouse tenants in a burning Mount Clemens apartment building.
Eight people were treated at a hospital after last weekend's fire and dozens scrambled to find new lodging because the 24-unit building on North River Road is destroyed.
Dramatic rescues are shown on a 17-minute sheriff's office video and on a two-minute Fox 2 News segment below. "There's a fire in the building," a deputy shouts as he bangs on a door. "You gotta come out the window."
The blaze wrecked 24 apartments. (Photo: Fox 2 News video)
In another scene at a smoky hallway, a deputy implores: "Come on! Come on! Out! Out! Go! ... Grab your stuff and get out. ... You guys gotta go."
Frustration heightens as one resident stalls while looking for his keys and others initially hesitate to leave. "You gotta fuckin' leave -- the building's on fire," one law enforcer shouts repeatedly.
Fox 2 posts:
A deputy on patrol in Mount Clemens spotted a large plume of smoke at River North Village Apartment complex. He called for help and went to check out the smoke. That's where he found an apartment complex burning and several residents who had jumped to escape the fire.
He then helped pull several people to safety as the fire was burning more of the complex.
The fire's cause isn't determined yet. On Fox 2, renter Samantha Morgan recounts the emergency that began just before midnight Saturday night:
"Within the 30 seconds, I had to grab my purse, my boyfriend, my dog, my shoes. Electricity was off, there was smoke everywhere, you couldn't see anything.
"I'm looking at the building [from outside] -- people banging out their windows, my boyfriend was catching someone jumping out their third-floor window. It was an awful sight to see, very devastating."
Fire departments from five other Macomb communities came to the scene, as did a crew from Selfridge Air National Guard base. Thick black smoke was seen for miles.
The Michigan Region of the American Red Cross found hotel rooms for at least 20 residents, according to The Detroit News. The city is collecting nonperishable food, store gift cards and checks made out to the Mount Clemens Foundtaiom, which can be brought to the fire department, 2 Dickinson St. between Market Street and Crocker Boulevard.
"The residents are primarily elderly, low-income and have many medical needs," a city appeal says. "Many are also United States veterans. ... Our immediate need is food. The Red Cross' resources are low at this point."
Fox 2 coverage:
