85 residents displaced after Southfield apartment fire

Southfield, Mich. (FOX 2) - Nearly 90 people were forced out of their home due to a fire at The Atrium Apartments in Southfield on Thursday. 

Torry Moore was at home with his girlfriend at the apartments when they smelled smoke and then saw it. 

“You can see smoke coming from behind our stove and wall, but the stove wasn’t on, “said Moore. 

Fire was spreading through the four story building forcing dozens of people to struggle to get out through the front entrance. 

“I started knocking on doors letting everyone know that there was smoke,” said Moore. “That smoke was not joke.” 

The Southfield Fire Department got there shortly before 5:00 p.m. 

“We found out that they had fire on floors 1-4 and it was actually doing through the roof,” said Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee. 

Chief Menifee says 8 other departments came for mutual aid to this 3 alarm fire. 

“I got to give a lot of credit to the firefighters who made quick decision and fast attack and was able to get to the scene of the fire,” said Menifee. 

One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and a resident is being treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire displaced 85-people. Chief says the building is structurally unsafe.

“The whole wall in the apartment from the kitchen is just torn down,” said Moore. 

The management company is relocating people to other apartments for now. Moore was able to grab whatever he could salvage before heading to stay with family. 

“Nothing I can do but wait it out,” said Moore.