DETROIT (WXYZ) — A person has died and another was hospitalized after a fire involving a propane heater in Detroit Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Police originally told reporters they believed a man and a woman were attempting to steal copper from an abandoned school building when one of them was electrocuted and the other was shocked. They later clarified that the two were not attempting utility theft and there was a propane heater fire that killed one of them and injured the other.
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Police responded to the area of Brainard Street and 4th Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard around 3 p.m. for what was originally called in as an explosion or some kind of pipe bomb. Once officers arrived, they learned that wasn’t the case.
"This was an unfortunate tragic incident,"Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes said as he gave an update to media. "We can confirm right now that we have one individual that has lost their life, one that is at a local hospital getting treatment for severe burns. As of our last update, we believe they are in stable condition, but they are still being treated."
At this time, police have not confirmed which victim, the woman or man, has died as they work to notify family.
"I saw the police lights. I saw like 10 police cars and I was wondering what everyone was doing out here," said Bernard Mason, who lives in the area.
A source close to the investigation told 7 News Detroit that the two were inside of a tent set up on the side of the building using the heater when it exploded. The tent had visible melted plastic.
After clearing the scene shortly after 6 pm, several investigators returned about an hour later. 7 News crews watched them remove several propane canisters from the tent. 7 News Detroit also saw police remove a heater from the tent earlier in the day.
It's unclear if the man and woman were living there. However, there were several bags of clothes, shoes, blankets and other personal items sitting next to and inside the tent.
Police say there have been problems with trespassing on the property before.
"We’ve worked with the owner before because there has been unlawful entry. We have gone out and the owner has been very diligent as you look around the facility now to secure it, but it still has been subject to being unlawfully entered," said Hayes.
The Detroit Fire Department is now leading an investigation into the matter.
