Mayor William Wild said he received notification of the body's recovery at about 12:40 p.m. No information is being released about the firefighter.
Firefighters responded to a blaze at the Electric Stick, a billiards hall, at about 9 a.m. They received a mayday call through the communications system at about 9:30 a.m., indicating a firefighter was in distress. The call was received after a roof collapsed. The strip mall is located at Hunter and Wayne roads.
Wild said he believes it is the first time the city has lost a firefighter.
"We're focusing on the family at this point," he said.
Wayne and Westland merged fire departments in July. The department has 90 firefighters including command staff.
The hall is owed by George Marvaso, who also owns a nearby Italian restaurant.
Copyright 2013 - Detroit Free Press
