Devastating apartment fire under investigation for arson

DETROIT (WJBK) - Fire tore through an apartment building on Detroit's east side on Monday morning. All residents made it out, but it is under investigation for being set on purpose.

At 4:30 a.m. on Monday, neighbors on Roseberry Street in Detroit heard the sounds of fire trucks. The surveillance video from a nearby store shows the bright light of flames and police arriving on scene

Once outside, neighbors describe the magnitude of the flames shooting from the apartment building.

"It was real high, the flames were out of control," said neighbor Terry Martin Jr.

"It looked really extreme really sad. It looked like it was hard to control," said a neighbor.

"(There) was about six or seven fire trucks out here. (It) took them almost hour to put it out," Martin said.

Fire officials say they're looking for answers and working to solve the case.

"Right now we are calling the fire suspicious but it is still under investigation," said DFD Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell.                       

Officials say no one was hurt, but a woman inside the burning building said before the fire took place, she was robbed and held against her will.

"There are two people of interest that we are going to question," Fornell said. "We've already talked to the lady we have no reason to believe that her story is untrue at this point but it's still in the middle of the investigation, there are a lot of details to find out about.."

Sources tell FOX 2 the woman was squatting inside this building and there was an illegal power hookup found at the scene.  Neighbors say it's this type of crime they've been forced to get used to

"It's disturbing and upsetting, but not uncommon for this part of the city," said one neighbor. "It's just another senseless tragedy in city of Detroit. It's upsetting."