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Detroit Gets Rare Assist From Suburbs for Fires
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By:
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ytwlgs
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Mood:
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Musical
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Date:
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09/09/2010 02:09:53
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None
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As exhausted Detroit firefighters battled wind-fed blazes burning wild in some neighborhoods and threatening to char much of the city, a half-dozen departments from surrounding communities brought in sorely needed — and gladly accepted — help. coach handbags
The assistance was rare, according to city fire officials, who said that despite budget and manpower cuts, Detroit usually is first to lend a hand. At least 85 structures, some of them abandoned, were destroyed or scorched as flames — likely sparked by downed power lines — jumped from rooftop to rooftop, swelled by winds of up to 50 mph. christian louboutin
"This is the first time we haven't been able to respond to all of our runs," said Dan McNamara, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association union. "As much as I love my (suburban) brothers and sisters ... we like to handle our own business. It was a bit embarrassing." christian louboutin pumps
While budget cuts have left the city with fewer firefighters, the help also could be a sign of changing attitudes between mostly black Detroit and its neighbors, polarized by years of political race baiting and lingering memories of a 1967 riot that accelerated the flight of whites to the suburbs. christian louboutin black
Tuesday's fires swept though several neighborhoods, including some that were well-tended and others filled with deteriorating vacant houses and weed-filled lots. Detroit Fire Commissioner James Mack said it was the worst spate of fires since the 1980s, when firefighters regularly battled hundreds of arsons on the night before Halloween. No injuries were reported, but people in some charred areas complained that firefighters took as much as 90 minutes to respond. christian louboutin sandals
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