6 injured, including firefighter, after Detroit senior apartment goes up in flames

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Firefighters responded to a four-alarm fire at the Reverend Ann Johnson Elderly Apartments on Detroit's east side Monday evening.

The building is in the area of Mack Avenue between Gray and Springle.

Officials say the fire started just after 7:30 p.m. There were six people injured and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries – three civilians and two police officers with smoke inhalation and one firefighter for heat-related injuries.

7 Action News' Alan Campbell reported that crews entered the building as soon as flames and hot spots were out, and they began a search of the area.

"There were people in there, they’re on oxygen and wheelchairs and that type of thing," said Deputy Commissioner David Fornell. "At this point we don’t know, we’re counting. We don’t know how many were there. We’re going to have to go through that building and do a very, very detail search at this point."

On Tuesday morning, 7 Action News reporter Ali Hoxie spoke to one man who was just thankful he made it out alive.

“It was amazing there was fire just everywhere. I just, I come out my apartment I’d seen the smoke down the hallway, I tried to get out the best I could," said Ondray Tucker, an apartment resident. “I would like to thank God I made it out of there safely.”

Right now, fire officials believe all the residents are accounted for. Cadaver dogs inside the apartments did not turn up anything and neither did EMS after their search, according to the Detroit Fire Department.

Police will do a room by room search later Tuesday morning, 7 Action News reporter Ali Hoxie confirmed.

How the fire started is still unknown.