DETROIT—A New Year's Eve photo on social media that depicts firefighters posing in front of a burning house has sparked an internal investigation and anger from the family that claims to own it, according to reports.
The New York Post reports that the west side home had been in the family of Deonte Higginbotham for 50 years, and was under renovation to accommodate his sick mother, Dorothy.
The controversial photo went up on the Detroit Fire Incidents Page on Facebook just before midnight, with the caption: "Crews take a moment to get a selfie on New Years!"
A family member reached Friday deferred to another relative who was not immediately available.
Detroit Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell told The News on Friday that the incident remains under investigation. The photo, he said, was taken during the last duty shift of a chief who was retiring. The page where it was posted, Fornell said, is not operated by the fire department.
The blaze in the 600 block of Green Street on Detroit's west side was reported just after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Fornell said Friday that he has not been in touch with the family to address their claims. He added he could not comment "until we get more facts."
Fornell has said that the building had been vacant and that the department wasn't going to send any firefighters inside "because the danger was quite high."
"It was well involved when we got there. Whether it was vacant or not, it was still too dangerous to go in," he said. "We're looking at all facets of it."
Wayne County property records show that Dorothy Higginbotham transferred ownership of the property to Deonte Higginbotham in May.
The department's arson division is evaluating the fire. A cause hasn't been determined, he added.
As for the photograph, Fornell said the circumstances are under review and if a firefighter posted it, it would be a violation of the department's social media policy.
The picture has since been removed from the social media page by an administrator who noted that a Detroit firefighter had asked that it be posted. It was removed, they wrote, because "guys on the job" said "they had been threatened" with punitive actions over the posting.
Fire Commissioner Eric Jones on Wednesday called the incident "inappropriate and unprofessional" and said that disciplinary action will be taken.
"It's very bad optics and a lapse of judgment on some people's parts," Fornell said.
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