An electrical fire at the Kamper Stevens Apartments in Downtown Detroit on Monday has resulted in one fatality and the displacement of many of the building's residents, as per multiple local news reports. According to CBS News Detroit, the fire, which originated in an electrical box in a stairwell, has exposed ongoing issues with the building's infrastructure. Notably, electricians were seen on site yesterday, endeavoring to restore power after an evacuation left some residents temporarily housed at a nearby hotel.
Residents have expressed prevalent issues with the building's amenities, including the elevators of which only one was operational at the time of the fire, reports indicated. In an interview with CBS News Detroit, one of the tenants, Irene Igol, recounted, "You can smell wires burning. You know, the white smoke; we had our mask on, but our eyes were burning." Moreover, her husband Max, who had recently undergone foot surgery, said, "In the beginning, I heard her say, 'I can't breathe.' So when I called again, 'Irene', she didn't answer. I got really scared. I thought maybe she passed out or something."
WWJ Newsradio 950 shared that, as well as the fatality, two other individuals were hospitalized following the fire involving a building largely inhabited by senior citizens. The dire situation was exacerbated by the malfunctioning elevators, with only one reportedly working, a critical factor for the residents, many of whom are over the age of 62 and have limited mobility. Fay Ray a resident, on the eighth floor, said, "This building is so poorly put together," and questioned, "How can anyone with a heart — I'm gonna put it like that, anyone with a heart — How could they do this to another human being?"
The deadly incident has prompted a closer examination of the high-rise's management and maintenance protocols. The Detroit Fire Department has stated that the elevators' inoperability was unrelated to the fire, but this has done little to quell the concerns of occupants, as the property underwent significant renovations in 2018 with the exception of the elevators. "We're down to one elevator that works sometimes," said tenant Clora Williams in a CBS News Detroit report. Meanwhile, Joe Otis expressed some understanding of the situation, telling WWJ Newsradio 950, "They just got that popping open last week. I ain't taking no stairs... I'm too old, man."
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, and the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department had conducted an annual inspection on July 25, in which no significant issues were reported aside from the elevators. Meanwhile, the property management has stated their cooperation in the investigation and concern for the residents. As clickondetroit summarized the sentiments from building management that "they were “devastated” to hear about the death and that they are working with authorities in the investigation."
