Early Monday morning, Detroit firefighters rescued 13 people, including six children, from a west side apartment following a reported explosion. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. at a two-story building on Littlefield near Schoolcraft and Schaefer.
Fire crews arrived to find residents jumping from windows to escape. Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said firefighters immediately began rescue efforts, pulling 12 individuals from the building. Later in the day, officials confirmed a 13th victim had also been injured.
Several victims suffered severe burns, with a 30-year-old man sustaining burns on 90% of his body, a 27-year-old woman with burns covering 20-40% of her body, and a 3-year-old girl with burns on 15% of her body. All three were in the same unit when the explosion occurred. Other victims suffered minor injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, and are listed in stable condition.
Residents described the explosion as sounding like a bomb. One tenant, Steffen Moore, said he initially thought a car had crashed into the building but saw no signs of fire or smoke.
Simms praised the quick response of firefighters, emphasizing that their actions prevented the situation from being even worse. Meanwhile, many Metro Detroit residents received an emergency alert about the explosion. However, the Detroit Fire Department later clarified that the alert was mistakenly sent to a much wider area than intended, as it was meant only for residents in the immediate zip code.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion as the community recovers from the shocking incident.
