Fire Destroys Liquor Store, Pizza Shop On Detroit's East Side [PHOTOS]
DETROIT (WWJ) - An east side Detroit liquor store and pizza shop were destroyed by a massive blaze that kept multiple fire crews busy for hours on New Year's Eve.
The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. Wednesday at the Mack Express Liquor Store and neighboring Paradise Pizza Shop at the corner of Mack and Chalmers avenues. As of 8:30 a.m., the fire was still burning.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find flames shooting from the roof of the two-story brick building, which eventually collapsed inward "like a pancake."
Edwin Jackson watched the firefighting effort from a few blocks away, near Kercheval and Chalmers.
"The flames were above the building, maybe 25 to 30 feet, and the ladders that they just got a few years ago for the fire trucks are very useful in this predicament," Jackson told WWJ's Mike Campbell.
Temperatures at the time of the fire were below 20 degrees, which caused water running from the fire hoses to freeze on the nearby street and sidewalks. City salt trucks were called in to prevent the roads from completely freezing over.
Firefighters worked in hourly cycles to keep their body temperatures regulated, which required several crews to be on hand.
Officials say it's too early to determine a cause of the fire. No injuries were reported.
"Now there's another eyesore in the city of Detroit and I hope they really do get it taken care of," Jackson said.
An investigation is ongoing.