Elderly woman killed in Detroit fire
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 01/27/2013
-
By: Smita Kalokhe
DETROIT (WXYZ) - An elderly Detroit woman was killed in an afternoon fire on the city’s west side Sunday.
Family members tell Action News Myrtle Howard, 83, died after being trapped in her house in the 22-hundred block of Monterey.
Neighbors tried to rescue Howard when they saw the smoke, but were unable to reach her in her back bedroom. “We kicked the door in and were trying to go up and get her because I knew she was up in there” said Jerome Ransom.
Ransom, his brother and another neighbor were unable to get past the living room because of the heavy smoke. “it just choked us immediately, choked us back,” said Mixon Golson, “There wasn’t a fire, just black smoke. We couldn’t see nothing. Absolutely nothing. We tried crawling on the floor and we couldn’t even get in on the floor.”
A fire captain also tried to enter the house, but was kept back by the flames. By the time crews reached Howard, it was too late.
Investigators are working to determine a cause for the fire.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PRINTMore Detroit Headlines
-
Justice delayed & denied in Wayne County
In Wayne County, scores of convicted felons guilty of dangerous crimes are being given what critics say is a get out of jail free card. Are the judges letting them out violating Michigan's penal code?
-
Trip to Hawaii during financial crisis?
Detroit is broke and four members of city employee pension boards are going to Hawaii for training.
-
Man charged in attack on 64-year-old
A man has been charged in connection to the attack on a 64-year-old man at a gas station on Detroit's northwest side.
