73-Year-Old Man Killed in Michigan Fire

As of early evening Sunday, the fire was still too hot for investigators to get inside and determine the cause.

Jan. 21, 2008

ROYAL OAK, Mich. --

A fire Sunday afternoon at a two-family duplex in Royal Oak has left a 73-year-old man dead.

Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the fire on Baker Street near Woodward Avenue and 11 Mile Road.

Firefighters said the building was fully engulfed when they arrived. They conducted a room-by-room search through the smoke and flames and found a man hiding in the closet.

Another woman had escaped from the upstairs apartment.

Both were transported to Beaumont Hospital, but the 73-year-old man died.

As of early evening Sunday, the fire was still too hot for investigators to get inside and determine the cause.

About the Author

Billy Goldfeder

BILLY GOLDFEDER, EFO, who is a Firehouse contributing editor, has been a firefighter since 1973 and a chief officer since 1982. He is deputy fire chief of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in Ohio, which is an ISO Class 1, CPSE and CAAS-accredited department. Goldfeder has served on numerous NFPA and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) committees. He is on the board of directors of the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.