A fire tore through an upper floor of the Pallister Plaisance apartments in Detroit's New Center neighborhood before 8 a.m. Thursday, sending two children and a man to the hospital, with smoke in a hallway, before crews put it out by 9 a.m.
The blaze broke out at the high-rise, located off Delaware Street near the Lodge and Third Avenue, according to ClickOnDetroit. FOX 2 identified the address as 888 Pallister Street. Detroit fire officials told the outlet that two children and a man were transported to a nearby hospital for fire-related injuries. The children's mother reportedly had minor injuries and refused treatment. Separately, FOX 2 reported that three people in total were injured — two children and one adult — and that the fire was contained and out by 9 a.m.
Resident accounts painted a chaotic scene inside the building. A tenant identified as Duran, who lives on the 10th floor, said the east side of the building was where the fire was located when he was evacuated, per the same FOX 2 report. Duran described the smoke as blinding on a lower floor, saying “you couldn't even see out the window of the ninth floor – it was that black.”
What Officials Have Not Confirmed
Fire officials have not confirmed any additional injuries among residents beyond the three reported, and they have not confirmed how many people, if any, will ultimately be displaced from the building, according to ClickOnDetroit's reporting. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but officials have not confirmed what sparked it. A post from the account DetroitScanner on X described the incident as a commercial building fire with Battalion Chief 5 holding incident command, though that account's claim attributing the fire to a careless cook has not been independently verified by fire officials.
A Pattern of Apartment Fires Across Detroit
Earlier in the fall, two people were injured in a fire at an apartment complex on Detroit's west side, according to The Detroit News. A firefighter also suffered an ankle injury.
In another incident at the Garden on Webb apartment complex, 12 residents were displaced from four units, WXYZ reported. That fire sent a 53-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman to Detroit Receiving Hospital in serious condition for smoke inhalation. A separate blaze at another Detroit apartment complex left 11 people hospitalized, while Red Cross officials worked with 20 other residents displaced by the fire, according to CBS News, which reported that more than 60 firefighters responded and that most residents were rescued from the second and third floors, with everyone eventually accounted for.
Investigation Continues at Pallister Plaisance
Back at Pallister Plaisance, the scope of the damage and the number of displaced residents remain unclear as the investigation continues. Fire officials have not released a timeline for determining the cause, and no further updates on the condition of the hospitalized children have been confirmed.
