Jan. 08--A man and woman died in a house fire in Detroit on Saturday night that was caused by extension cord misuse, fire officials said today.
The blaze at Burlingame and 12th broke out around 9 p.m. Firefighters called for help from police when extended family and neighborhood residents insisted on entering the home, said Detroit Fire Arson Investigator Patrick McNulty.
"It was an ugly scene," McNulty said, adding that close to 100 police officers were there when he arrived at 9:45 p.m. "The firemen felt like they were close to turning the water on people. They're outnumbered. There were a lot of people out there. And once police arrived, things calmed down pretty quick."
Dan McNamara, head of the firefighters union, said Saturday night that no police officers were initially available when firefighters called for help.
"We're unprotected out here," McNamara said Saturday night.
McNulty said the crowd would have been interfering with the firefighters if they were allowed to walk in and out of the scene.
"Sometimes emotions get the best of people, and I think that's what happened," McNulty said.
The man and woman killed were both in their late 50s or early 60s, McNulty said. Their names have not been released.
According to initial reports, the man lived in the basement, and the woman went in to rescue him. Their relationship was unclear, McNulty said.
McNulty said multiple extension cords were strung together, wrapped around metal and laced through combustible items in the basement, causing the blaze.
Copyright 2012 - Detroit Free Press
