Videos show police rush to evacuate residents in fire at Southgate senior facility
By: -----
Southgate, MI - A Southgate police officer raced through the second floor of American House Southgate on Friday night searching for people who needed to be evacuated from a burning senior living facility.
Body camera footage released Sunday by the Southgate Police Department shows the dramatic rescue as an officer pounds on residents' doors to warn them of the quickly burning fire that by then had spread through roughly half of the building. Smoke is visible in the hallway he moves through, and he calls for backup between coughs.
"I'm on the second floor," the officer said. "I've got a bunch of people trapped up here. I need as much help as I can get."
A fire, which reignited Sunday afternoon and sent first responders back to the scene, broke out at American House Southgate, 16333 Allen Road, at about 10 p.m. Friday night. Police said there were 87 residents and staff in the building at the time. All of them are accounted for, authorities said. Two people, including a firefighter, were treated for injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.