All residents and staff at a senior living facility in Southgate, Michigan, have been accounted for after a massive fire at the complex on Friday night, according to police.

The fire was reported just after 10 p.m. at American House Southgate on the 16000 block of Allen Road. According to officials, responding crews saw heavy flames and smoke coming from the building and "immediately" started evacuating residents. Southgate Fire Department Chief Justin Graves said early Saturday that it was challenging for first responders to help them out of the building.

"They need assistance getting out of the building, and then once you get them out of the building, now where do they go, because this is their home," Graves said.

Residents were taken to the Southgate Senior Center. According to police, 87 people were in the building at the time of the fire. 

A firefighter suffered a minor injury and a resident broke their leg, officials said. One cat died as a result of the fire, and three canines were evacuated.

Southgate police Lt. Robert Lukofsky said the fire reignited on Sunday around 10:30 a.m. Crews from several surrounding communities were working to extinguish the flames.

Resident Carol Nichalski said she wasn't prepared for when the fire alarm went off on Friday night.

"We thought it was just a, you know, drill, but I went out there and looked down the hall. It was full of smoke, but it came from the third floor," Nichalski said. 

She left with just the clothes on her back.

"I just left everything. My door wide open, and went out. That's it, my pajamas and slippers," Nichalski said.

All residents have since been placed in temporary homes.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Lieutenant Mark Hunt with the Southgate Fire Department said the building did have sprinklers, but not in the attic.

"Nowadays, there's codes that say, in attic spaces like that big common attic, you have to have fire stops every so many feet. So you have to have some kind of a fire retardant wall to keep that fire from spreading all the way down through the whole attic space," Hunt said.

Firefighters said they were still putting out hot spots on Saturday afternoon.

Crews from across Downriver and from Detroit responded to the incident, according to Graves.

The senior center said it's received "an abundance of community support and resources" in response to the fire, and asks that no one else make a donation, police said. A website is being set up for people to make financial donations. 

In October 2023, a fire broke out at a different senior complex in Southgate. Crews responded to the Meadows of Southgate, which is also on Allen Road, where dozens of residents were displaced.

"It's wild. It's almost an identical building, too," Graves said.

Karen Schoemaker, whose mother lived at the facility and was able to get out, said she is saddened for all of the residents.

"I visit her about every day, and I know a lot of these people, so walking around, I see them out here, and I don't know where they're going to relocate or if I'll ever see them again. You build relationships, you know, so it's kind of sad."