SOUTHGATE (WWJ) Southgate fire crews are being hailed as heroes for rescuing all residents from a senior center that went up in flames.
The Southgate Fire Department said they received a report of flames "shooting" from the American House on Allen Road, near Dix-Toledo, on Friday, October 24, at approximately 10 p.m.
"First responders on scene started running in selflessly, evacuating as many people, as fast as they could," Fire Chief Justin Graves said. "...(They need) assistance getting out of the building...then where do they go, because this is their home?"
Crews took the residents to Southgate Senior Center in the area of Dix-Toledo and Eureka roads. According to officials, the seniors will not be able to return home for a while because the facility suffered heavy smoke damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
There were no injuries, which Graves labeled a "miracle": "All the police, all the fire crews that put their life on the line to get people out, hats off to them."