The Sterling Heights Fire Department was called to a condo unit in the 5600 block of
Victory Lane the morning of Wednesday, September 25 just after 6:30 a.m. Upon
arrival, they met with the resident who called 911 because they smelled smoke.
Upon investigation, fire crews found that the condo unit next to the caller was filled with smoke and the windows were hot and blackened by the smoke that had not exited the structure. They made entry and found that there were several places that the fire had burned holes in the floor. Fire crews then entered the bedroom, located and removed the 69-year-old male victim. The victim was deceased and no actions to revive him were initiated due to the length of time he had been deceased.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and at this time there is no reason to believe that there was any foul play involved. The fire burned for a long time before alerting the neighbor and there were no working smoke detectors in the home. As we approach October, which is known as Fire Prevention Month, the Sterling Heights Fire Department wants everyone to know that smoke detectors save lives and need to be properly installed and maintained, not just in October, but also year round.
“Our thoughts are with the family as they struggle with this tragedy,” said Fire Chief Chris Martin.
For more information, please contact Fire Chief Chris Martin at 586-446-2951 or via email at cmartin@sterling-heights.net.