Ypsilanti firefighters pull unconscious man from burning apartment in high-rise
Residents of Chidester Place, in Ypsilanti, wait outside of the building for the OK to return to their homes after a fire forced them to evacuate Saturday morning.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
The unidentified man was taken by Huron Valley Ambulance to a local hospital, firefighters said. Fire Chief Jon Ichesco said the man was in stable condition, as of 2:30 p.m.
Ichesco said the man may have been deaf and unable to hear fire alarms.
There were no other reported injuries in the fire at Chidester Place apartments, at 330 Chidester Place, on Ypsilanti’s southside.
Ann Arbor city and Ypsilanti Township firefighters were called in to help evacuate residents - many of them elderly and infirm - from the eight-story building. Multiple ambulances were brought in as a precaution.
The first firefighters on the scene found heavy smoke and couches on fire in the living room when they entered the third floor apartment. The resident was found unconscious in his bed in the bedroom, firefighters said.
Firefighters said there was dry chemicals from a home fire extinguisher in the living room, indicating that there may have been a small fire earlier in one of the couches that later rekindled after the resident thought he had extinguished it.
Ichesco said the fire appears to be accidental. He said firefighters found a box fan running and an ash tray on the scene and guessed the man may have left a lit cigarette in the ash tray, which was then blown by the fan onto the couch.
He said the fire was mostly contained to the living unit, causing about $30,000 in damage to the apartment and another $10,000 in smoke damage to the connecting hallway.
Erica Hobbs contributed to this report.
Comments
Jay Allen
Mon, Jun 21, 2010 : 7:23 a.m.
@blueeyedpupil...........You are dead on. I tried to point these things out and my comments were removed. I listened to it as it went down.
blueeyedpupil
Sun, Jun 20, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.
Some serious questions need to be asked in the aftermath of this fire. Was an appropriate fire alarm for a deaf person in operation is this deaf residents apartmen? According to the ADA regulations the alarm must be atppropriate for the individuals disability. An in apartment strobe light alarm is not adequate for a sleeping deaf person. They need a vibrating device such as one under placed under the the pillow. Was that properly provided for this man in his apartment? Having this in place could of prevented the fire from becoming so out of control and totally protected this resident from his injuries. And helped prevent panic and confusion and fear among a number of residents. When residents began evacuating the building, why was no official fire or police personel telling residents not to use the NORTH stairwell which was compromised by smoke. At no point did anyone tell residents to use the SOUTH stairwell instead, which was smoke free. Why did no offical stop residents from reentering the building while the fire was still occuring. Should not an offical been posted at the door to keep residents from reentering the building? Residents were also reentering the South Stairwell while smoke was present. Some residents reentering the stair well knocked down a frail resident trying to exit the stairwell. Chidester Place is well known to the Police and Fire and Ambulance services as having a large population of residents who are mentally ill and who do not always react appropriately to an emergency. There are also many residents who are unable to exit via stairs due to mobility impairments. A list of these residents is made by management and does the fire department possess this list or not? Why did no one check on these people or keep them informed as to what was happening. Unless under threat from smoke or fire these residents are supposed to shelter in place, or if at risk in their apartments then they are supposed to assemble on their floors stairwell landing. A number of these residents assembled on the North stair well landings even though there was smoke in that stair well. Should not some official have instructed them to either move to the South stairwell or return to their apartments and shelter in place. Why is the management at Chidester Place allowed to repeately year after year issue a fire plan that is out of date and contradictory. The plan includes floor captains and other nonexistant resident helpers that have not existed for many years but are still included in the fire plan passed out yearly to residents. This plan must be up to date. Why are residents not given clearer instructions, since the fire plan gives one set of instructions but the lease contains contradictory instructions. Should not a building this large have a fire drill annually, involving the fire dept? This time only one or two residents were injured. This was only by sheer luck. This could of easily been a much bigger and deadlier fire with more hurt or killed. The fire department and management should both be held accountable for adequate fire safety plans. Someone must ask these questions of these officials. These residents deserve an appropriate fire safety plan.
fortin911
Sun, Jun 20, 2010 : 1:21 a.m.
I hope for the sake of the other residents there is a smoking ban implemented and the person responsible for the damages be made to pay till his dying day!
Reneey
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 1:44 p.m.
Hope he"ll be ok.