A 72-year-old Warren man was found dead following a fire in his garage yesterday morning. The fire, reported at approximately 4:45 a.m. at the man's home on Arden Avenue, opposite the Warren Community Center, resulted in a frantic scene as emergency crews discovered the man's body inside the blazing structure, as reported CBS Detroit.
Warren Fire Commissioner Wilburt "Skip" McAdams was informed of the incident after a neighbor had reported seeing smoke. Responding to the scene, firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, only to find the man, later identified as the homeowner, deceased in the aftermath. McAdams shared, "A woman came out of the house asking firefighters where her husband was," in a statement obtained by the Macomb Daily. Adding to the harrowing story, according to a Macomb Daily interview, the man had requested his wife's assistance after a fall around 3:30 a.m. but continued to tinker in the garage with the aid of his walker.
Investigations by the Warren Police Department, amplified by initial findings, suggest that the cause of the fire was an overturned space heater. "Investigators are also working to see if the deceased male may have suffered a medical emergency which caused him to knock over the space heater, ultimately resulting in the garage catching on fire," police mentioned in a press release, a detail echoed by sources including WWJ Newsradio. Arson or foul play have not been suspected in the tragic incident.
While the house sustained no damage, and there were no other injuries, authorities are in the process of determining the exact cause of death, pending an autopsy by the Macomb County Medical Examiner’s Office. Charles Rushton, the Warren Police Commissioner, highlighted the preliminary nature of the ongoing investigation and the accidental appearance of the fire, as reported by CBS Detroit. The garage, filled with items and a workbench, was a common retreat for the homeowner during restless nights, his wife told fire officials, according to the Macomb Daily.
