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The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division responded to an apartment fire in the suburb of Inkster, Mich., early this morning with coffee, Gatorade and water, sweatpants, blankets and socks.
Approximately 20 residents were displaced by the blaze, which lasted about one hour and completely destroyed the 12-unit, 3-story Dartmouth Square complex around 2 a.m. this morning, according to Chuck McDougall, director of Emergency and Disaster Services for the Eastern Michigan Division. No residents were harmed.
Nearly all of the apartment’s residents found temporary shelter in the home of friends or family. Red Cross placed the remaining few in a nearby hotel. McDougall’s team of three responded about an hour after the structure went up in flames––the most recent of a string of apartment fires in the Metro Detroit area.
“The whole apartment is trashed,” McDougall said. “We’ve probably responded to six or seven fires in just the past three months.”
He said residents were visibly shaken by the fire, and many of them sought relief at The Salvation Army’s response vehicle. McDougall also offered pastoral care and and counseling to all who needed it.
“It’s pretty impactful when you’re handing out coffee and socks and you see tears start to flow,” he said. “It’s a very difficult thing to go through.”
The Wayne Westland Fire Association set up a nonprofit organization to assist fire victims. Donations can be made by contacting Assistant Fire Chief John Adams at firedept@ww-fa.com.
