Southgate American House fire: New video shows evacuation rescue by police

American House fire: Southgate police release rescue video

New bodycam video released by Southgate police show the evacuation of senior residents from American House on Allen Road last Friday.

FOX 2 - Newly released body camera video from Southgate police showed the mass evacuation effort from Friday's American House fire.

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Video shows police from Southgate and surrounding cities go floor-by-floor with smoke visible, helping physically disabled residents to safely get out of the massive senior complex on Allen Road.

"I know where the fire is at, any people in this house?" yelled one officer on video.

"One guy needs carrying," said another.

"How far is he?" the first asked.

The footage showed many with walkers be guided down flights of stairs as the fire grew.

There were 87 people including residents and staff inside when fire broke out Friday night.

Only two people were injured in the fire including one firefighter and a civilian. One pet cat died but three dogs were rescued from the building.

The City of Southgate is collecting monetary donations for the victims, anyone who wishes to contribute can do so at: https://tinyurl.com/3ys6cvmf.

In one video portion a female police officer helps an elderly lady in her wheelchair and tells her, "We're going for a ride," before sprinting while pushing her down the hallway, away from the smoke.

The cause of the American House fire remains under investigation.

The Southgate Fire Department will continue to work to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire.

First responders from multiple cities were dispatched to the scene at 16333 Allen Road after the fire was reported around 10 p.m.

When crews arrived, they found heavy flames and smoke coming from the building.

Southgate officers, along with assisting law enforcement and firefighters from neighboring departments, immediately began evacuating residents to ensure their safety.

The remnants of American House left a complex largely gutted by the blaze, which took hours to control. Over the weekend hot spots reactivated and flared up in the structure.

Officials said it was normal due to the size of the building and the massive scale of the fire.