Six FF’s Down in Detroit Building Collapse

Updated.  Additional information, links and more videos added.  Scroll down.

AT LEAST SIX DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FIREFIGHTERS have been taken to hospitals a few minutes ago with serious injuries after the roof collapsed onto them and caused a wall to fall onto them on the sidewalk at a strip mall.  The entire shopping complex is on fire, but is contained. 

WXYZ-TV

The fire was reported around 6 am and witnesses say that they heard two loud “explosions” before the flame broke out of the building.

WDIV-TV

Detroit News photo

The collapse occurred shortly after 8 am Eastern.  At first there were reported to be 8 FF’s injured, but it has been revised to the current number of six casualties.

WJBK-TV Ch. 2 has this early video report from the scene:

Update: The injured firefighters were on the sidewalk next to the fire building when the roof collapse caused the wall to tumble onto them.

WDIV-TV is reporting:  Detroit Fire Commissioner James Mack said three were in critical condition and three were in fair condition, with one firefighter having been paralyzed from the waist down and another needing to be intubated.

Names, Condition of Injured:
Brandon Milewski — 11 years service — critical condition

Eric Jurmo — 11 years service — critical condition

Brian Baluch — 9 years service — critical condition

Jeron Whitehorn — 8 years service — treated and released

Shayne Raxter — 9 years service — fair condition

Gerald Rutowski — 23 years service — fair condition

Mack said when the building crumbled, bricks fell onto the firefighters — which resulted in broken bones for many of the firefighters.

A full report and the latest updates can be found on FirefighterNation.com HERE.

WXYZ-TV has a good comprehensive video report posted:

The Detroit News has a good background report HERE.

One of the critically-injured men is Lieutenant Gerald Rutkowski.  WJBK-TV Ch. 2 has this video report on how it was Rutkowski’s brother, a firefighter who was also on the scene, who dug him out from under the bricks and masonry:

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Also on FireGeezer…

• Block-Long Apartment Bldg. in Detroit Goes Down – September 17, 2011
• Red-Light Runner Burns Down Detroit House – January 23, 2012
• Detroit Hires New Fire Commissioner – May 21, 2011
• Big Fire, Little Water in Detroit – March 19, 2011