Detroit, Michigan – Community leaders, residents, and families came together at the Adams-Butzel Recreation Center in Detroit to recognize the incredible bravery of first responders who rushed to help after a horrific apartment explosion on March 31. It was a serious but proud moment for the community. The incident, which took place at 13910 Littlefield Street just before 4 a.m., destroyed part of a 12-unit apartment building and put the lives of its tenants, many of whom were children, in immediate risk.
The blast, which was later found to be caused by a gas leak, was so strong that the first 911 calls said there had been a car wreck. But it didn’t take long for the real nature of the emergency to become obvious. Within six minutes, Detroit Fire and EMS units were on the scene. They saw walls that had fallen down, smoke rising, and terrified individuals clinging to windows on the second floor.
The response swiftly got bigger under the guidance of Battalion Chief Percy Warmack, who took charge as soon as he got there. Multiple companies were deployed, and ladders were raised to reach those trapped above the collapse. Firefighters pulled four unconscious kids through a bathroom window as part of the dramatic rescues. Others were helped out using makeshift ladder ramps that were put over the shaky parts of the building…