Fires Destroy Two Homes in Mich., Damages Others

Nov. 20--Hours after an overnight fire destroyed a vacant home and charred the outsides of two occupied homes in southwest Detroit today, firefighters were called back to the block for a blaze that leveled 36-year-old John Phipps' home.

"I've got nothing," said Phipps, 36, standing in the 100 block of Military Street, east of Fort, as firefighters sprayed water on the foundation and smoldering remains at about 10:30 a.m. "Everything was in there -- my medical records, my mother's remains."

Detroit Fire Chief 7, Mark Kossarek, said the blaze in the home Phipps has rented for six years looked suspicious.

Other Detroit Fire Department firefighters responded to the initial blaze at the unoccupied home next door to Phipps at 2 a.m., Kossarek said. That fire leveled the unoccupied home and charred the outside of the houses on either side -- including Phipps' home.

Initially, the 9 a.m. blaze at Phipps' home was reported as that fire burning again, or rekindling. Kossarek said that's not probable.

"When we pulled up, there was fire on every floor," Kossarek said. "We call it a rekindle, but that's not the case here."

Phipps said he was at a neighbor's house a block away when someone told him his home was on fire.

Detroit Fire Arson Unit investigators are aware of the suspicious nature of the blaze, Capt. Patrick McNulty said.

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