Kalamazoo, MI: On Sunday, May 21st, 2017, at approximately 7:29 a.m., Kalamazoo Public Safety officers responded to a report of smoke coming from an apartment of a multi residential structure located in the 1500 blk. of Portage Rd. Officer Amir Khillah was the first one to arrive on scene and noted heavy smoke conditions from the apartment. Fearing for the occupant’s safety, Officer Khillah forced the door open and began searching the apartment. A 34 year old resident was located, unresponsive, on a couch. Officer Khillah carried the subject out and turned him over to other responding officers.
An interior attack was conducted and officers were able to extinguish the fire within 10 minutes. The majority of the damage was limited to the kitchen area of the apartment. Due to damage to the electrical system of the residence the house had to be condemned until repairs can be made. Arraignments have been made to relocate the occupants of the four apartments.
The 34 year old resident and Officer Khillah were examined by Life EMS and released on scene. No other occupants of the residence were injured.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The apartment was not equipped with smoke detectors; however, an adjoining apartment was. The resident of the adjoining apartment called 911; allowing officers to rescuing her neighbor and extinguish the fire before it could spread. Kalamazoo Public Safety strongly encourages residents to install smoke detectors and regularly check the batteries. Smoke detectors save lives.
Anyone who may have information regarding this investigation is asked to call Kalamazoo Public Safety at 337-8994 or Silent Observer at 343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
By authority of: Lt. Scott Boling
