Downed power wires blamed in some Detroit fires

[dmr]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100907/NEWS02/100907050/&template=fullarticle
Posted: 7:28 p.m. Sept. 7, 2010 | Updated: 10:17 p.m. Sept. 7, 2010
Downed power wires blamed in some Detroit fires

BY CECIL ANGEL, MELANIE D. SCOTT, BILL LAITNER AND GINA DAMRON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

“There’s no fire bug here,” said Detroit Fire Department Capt. Steve Varnas surveying the damage from a blaze in the area of Van Dyke and 7 Mile that had claimed at least 17 structures. “Throughout the whole city, the same thing is happening: Wires down everywhere.”

High winds were causing dead limbs to fall from trees, knocking down the wires which have been igniting, Varnas said.

The blaze at Van Dyke and 7 Mile was caused when a downed wire landed on top of a garage behind a house that was being rehabbed, he said.

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“For the first time in my knowledge, we have companies that are not available. And more than that, from what I hear, we’re not making our runs in a timely manner. This is terrible because a fire doubles in size every two to three minutes,” McNamara said. “And it’s not an anomaly just because there’s a windstorm,” he emphasized. “We’ve had every kind of storm in history. This is a major embarrassment. I just hope nobody gets hurt.”