Explosion/fire @ The Huntington? [[pics)

**Ray1936** · January-01-10, 02:38 PM

Nice coverage, gang. Most fascinating to read from way out here in the boondocks. Thanks to all posters.

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-01-10, 03:34 PM

BC-US--Apartment Fire-Detroit,0135
Official: Drunk man started fatal Detroit fire
Eds: APNewsNow. UPDATES with drunken man causing fire, woman missing besides 2 confirmed killed.
AP Photo MIDTF103, MIDTF101, MIDTF101, MIDTF102, MIDTF104, MIDTN101, MIDTN102, MIDTN103, MICO110, MICO111
DETROIT [[AP) â€” A Detroit fire official says a drunk man playing with fire started a blaze that killed at least two people in an apartment building and left one woman missing.
Fire Capt. Steve Varnas on Friday told The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press a resident who says he was drinking all day used a piece of paper to light a cigarette and accidentally touched off the fire Thursday night in the five-story building. No one has been arrested.
Besides the two who died, the fire also hurt three others including two firefighters. A 67-year-old woman who used a wheelchair was last seen in the building has not yet been found. Varnas says the building is too dangerous for crews to enter.
Varnas says the building had about 49 residents.

**LeannaM** · January-01-10, 03:49 PM

What a terrible story. RIP and prayers to the families and victims.

It's a shame the empty one didn't go up instead.

**Meddle** · January-01-10, 04:30 PM

The fire department was [[almost) right next door.

Detroit E5/L20/Sq2/M6 433 W. Alexandrine Built 1909

[[There are some faint letters under "Squad no2". I can see "No4".)

That would be Chief 4 before the battalions were realigned and Chief 11 at Southfield and Curtis was renumbered Chief 4.

**DetroitZack** · January-01-10, 06:00 PM

How sad, and definately a loss for the city. I took a picture of the Huntington a while back, I will have to find it.

**Django** · January-01-10, 10:18 PM

Gnome and Gannon, I cannot remember if it was radiant heat or not but most likely it was. I remember a bath down the hall. Rooms were pretty small and were about $50 a week about 5 yrs ago. I was only there for about a week. I was actually considering moving back in there for a few months just to be close to work during the winter or until I can find a place in the corridor cause Im sick of riding my bike all the way from Chene in the snow..

In Whitehouse post #8 picture I was in the Miami which is the green lot to the lower right of the Huntington. I now believe the building caught fire then an explosion, I wouldnt doubt it was an oxygen tank. It was quite a boom that was felt inside the Miami. I immediately went outside to check it out and the building was halfway engulfed.

Whitehouse, no Im not Bill Eisner but I believe I may have talked to him for a moment while we were shooting the place.

**Django** · January-01-10, 10:45 PM

Couple of more pics.

BTW Thanks Gnome.

**Django** · January-02-10, 12:14 PM

They just pulled out the last body a few minutes ago, I believe it was the lady in the wheelchair. Heres some daytime pics of the aftermath.

**TONY BOX 42** · January-02-10, 02:13 PM

Meddle:The inscription above Sq.2 door reads E.34
When the Squads were formed in the early 1900's
they had engine designations.E.5 celibrated it's
100th.aniversery in September. The Company was formed in the late
1800's but used the date of moving into the "new quarters " for a
date.Years back a spectaculr fire at 77 W.Alexandrine provided Bill with his first FIREHOUSE cover shot.Second issue of the Magizine.
Chief four out the side door at Second and Burroughs.E.17 & L.7 out the front

**Danny** · January-02-10, 02:31 PM

The cause of the fire is from a some druken po'folk who lit a cigarette and its spark cause the dry wooden floor to flare up causing the buidling to burn like paper. He will be charge with arson and murder.

**Whitehouse** · January-02-10, 04:23 PM

WOODTV 8 on youtube.

**Django** · January-02-10, 09:37 PM

I just noticed Lowell put up one of my pics in the right side banner which leads to this thread.

I feel honored, thank you Lowell.

**Lowell** · January-02-10, 10:29 PM

Kudos to you Django for the great and timely pictures!

**terryh** · January-03-10, 03:29 PM

Watched a depresssing news report last night regarding the Huntington House apartment fire in which a wheelchair bound resident was trapped and burned to death on the third floor.The Huntington House fire is one of many that, seems to me was very preventable.Why so many fires? Are city inspectors understaffed-funded or apathetic and lethargic? Are there any groups that advocate for the poor residents of dated-dilapitaded apartment buildings.? Are individual landlords and realty groups EVER held accountable? Part of the problem I would imagine stems from the fact that we live in a very individualistic-apathetic-adolescent society in which many tax paying citizens cry about feeling helpless or that it doesn't do any good to picket-protest with mass email and letter writing campaigns demanding improved housing conditions..............

**Gsgeorge** · January-03-10, 11:03 PM

What do you think will be done to the Huntington? This may sound absurd, but will Insurance cover the damages? Can the facade or part of the building be saved?

**Whitehouse** · January-03-10, 11:21 PM

Is optimistic as my nature is....

What do you think?...

**LeannaM** · January-03-10, 11:36 PM

To be fair, although it was a nice-looking historical building, the Huntington has a twin [[which is prettier in my opinion). I would think if the owners were that concerned about aesthetics, they could buy up the Billinghurst and fix it up, assuming that it is not too far gone.

But I don't know how bad the damage was at the Huntington, or if the facade was damaged. You can sometimes tear down the back of the building and rebuild behind the facade. But it does appear that the Billinghursts' facade is the original one, and the Huntington's facade [[though still nice) was altered at some point.

**Django** · January-04-10, 01:15 AM

I dont know a whole lot about restoration of historicals but I was pretty amazed by the one on the north side of Canfield between Woodward and John R. They took the whole thing down except for the facade. Every time I went by that place I was amazed that it had not fallen down. They seemed to have the entire front of the building all propped up with 2x4s until the rest of the building was rebuilt behind it. Im assuming they received some kind of tax break or grants for keeping the historical front intact. Im sure some of you know what Im talking about.

The building is pretty messed up but from the front it looks like it may be saved. I doubt it will though. I would think if they can restore the Forest Arms they could do the Huntington but the Huntingtons property vale cant be all that much although that area is slowly coming around.

**terryh** · January-04-10, 05:42 PM

I really feel for the poor lady in the wheelchair not able to escape..very tragic and heartbreaking......

poor woman....handicapped citizens deserve better than a situation where they are surrounded by bleakness and despair..

**Django** · January-04-10, 06:31 PM

Seems strange that though in a wheelchair she had a 3rd floor apt.

I just heard someone died trying to escape through a window and fell. Anyone else heard this rumor?

**mccarch** · January-04-10, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by terryh

Watched a depresssing news report last night regarding the Huntington House apartment fire in which a wheelchair bound resident was trapped and burned to death on the third floor.The Huntington House fire is one of many that, seems to me was very preventable.Why so many fires? Are city inspectors understaffed-funded or apathetic and lethargic? Are there any groups that advocate for the poor residents of dated-dilapitaded apartment buildings.? Are individual landlords and realty groups EVER held accountable? Part of the problem I would imagine stems from the fact that we live in a very individualistic-apathetic-adolescent society in which many tax paying citizens cry about feeling helpless or that it doesn't do any good to picket-protest with mass email and letter writing campaigns demanding improved housing conditions..............

This sounds like caterwauling. What do you think that could have been done to have prevented this fire? Specifically?

**gazhekwe** · January-04-10, 07:05 PM

Being dependent on a wheelchair is pretty tough in a fire situation. The elevators, if any, are automatically off limits. You don't know if there is fire in the shaft, so they are shut down. Where I worked on the third floor of Cadillac Place [[former GM Building), I was paired with a quadriplegic man for evacuation purposes. It was the same situation on the sixth floor of the Plaza Building. The rules were the same. I was to take the man to the freight elevator and wait til someone came to pick us up. Let me tell you, picking up 10-16 floors above us took a long time. Sometimes, the drill would end and we would still be standing there half an hour or more later. I told Ken if it were a real fire, he was going down the stairs on my back. There is no way I am standing in a burning building waiting for an elevator. Luckily he was a pretty skinny guy AND we never had to resort to Plan B.

In this fire, the woman's boyfriend said he was unable to go back into the apartment to get her because of smoke. I have a hard time with that, but smoke can knock you out pretty quickly.

Bottom line: Everyone should scope out egress options in their home and workplace in case of fire. How will you get out if there is a fast-moving fire?

**terryh** · January-05-10, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by mccarch

This sounds like caterwauling. What do you think that could have been done to have prevented this fire? Specifically?

I jumped the gun on the thread which was moved [[didnt know someone started a thread on the tragic fire) didnt know the cause of the blaze. Maybe an occcasional fire drill like Gazewke mentioned or a sprinkler system in the hall may have saved a few lives. There is a type of ladder that can be rolled out from windows, cant remember the specific name of the ladder....

I knew a lady that developed a mental illness and had an apt. on Second way up on one of the top floors and worried about her......