Detroit, MI

Detroit family’s home damaged, Christmas gifts lost after fire spreads from vacant house

Published

3 months ago

December 17, 2025

Detroit family’s home damaged, Christmas gifts lost after fire spreads from vacant house

DETROIT – Detroit fire officials are investigating multiple house fires that broke out Tuesday morning, including a blaze that destroyed two vacant homes and damaged one family’s home on Dwyer Street.

The fire started around 1 a.m. in a vacant house, leveling it before spreading to a neighboring vacant property and then damaging the home of Joel Whitner and his family.

Whitner described how his family woke up to the sound of neighbors pounding on their door.

“When we walked out the door, the wind gusts and the fire just kind of like blew us back,” Whitner said, describing the intensity of the blaze.

The family’s home has significant damage, including water damage throughout the interior and damage to the roof.

The family lost Christmas gifts, furniture, and clothing in the fire.

A GoFundMe has been started to help support the family.

In a separate incident around 3 a.m., firefighters responded to another residential fire on Ashland Street, where a family of 15 evacuated safely after a space heater caught fire in an upstairs bedroom and spread to the attic.

“I grabbed my fire extinguisher, and I started spraying it right there, and that made it go up more, so I ran to the attic and started spraying in the attic,” said Jerome Hill. “Keep a fire extinguisher by your bed because if I didn’t have that by my bed, there’s no telling what would’ve happened.”

It comes after a house fire that killed a 6-year-old girl on Sunday (Dec. 14) and another fire that killed three on Monday.

Fire officials say space heaters are responsible for four out of five home heating-related fire deaths.

The Detroit Fire Department is reminding families of home heating safety tips.

Captain Edward Davis emphasized the importance of having a safety plan in place in case of an emergency.

“You want to create a fire safety plan for your home in the event of an emergency,” Davis said. “What are two ways to get out of the room, out of the home – where are our families meeting up? How do we alert other members in the home?”

The department’s safety guidelines for space heaters include:

Place heaters on flat, stable surfaces
Keep heaters at least three feet away from combustible items
Plug heaters directly into wall outlets
Turn off heaters when leaving rooms or going to sleep
Keep heaters clear of walkways and exits

The department is also reminding families of important carbon monoxide safety tips:

Install carbon monoxide alarms low to the ground, near gas furnaces, dryers, or heaters.
Test CO detectors monthly and replace them every five to seven years.
Avoid using a stove, oven, or grill as a heat source.
Keep gas and charcoal grills outdoors only—never in garages or enclosed spaces.
Hire only qualified professionals to inspect or repair heating systems, fireplaces, and chimneys.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Mercy basketball two wins away from NCAA tournament bid

Published

6 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Mercy basketball two wins away from NCAA tournament bid

UDM is two wins away from its first NCAA tournament berth since 2012.

Calling what Detroit Mercy basketball has done this season a resurgence may be an undersell.

UDM (16-14, 12-8 Horizon), the No. 3-seed in the Horizon League Tournament, is playing No. 2 Robert Morris (22-10, 13-7) in the conference semifinals at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis on Monday, March 9. The game is scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2.

For a team that went 8-24 in the 2024-25 season, and a program-worst 1-31 in 2023-24, that the Titans are just two wins away from an NCAA Tournament appearance represents nothing short of a rebirth. That possibility looked distant even on Jan. 24, when a 95-87 loss to rival Oakland brought the Titans to 8-12 overall.

Watch Horizon League tournament on Fubo

But UDM responded by winning seven of its last nine regular-season games, including a 95-89 win against Oakland at the O’Rena to secure the team’s first 16-win season since 2016.

“We all found out who we were as players and as people. So now we know what positions to put the right people in at the right time,” said Titans senior point guard Orlando Lovejoy of the team’s late-season surge. “Once we figured that out, it was game on.”

The Detroit native Lovejoy has put up exceptional numbers in his senior season with the Titans, putting up a career-high 33 points in a 74-70 win over Green Bay on Feb. 22 and 29 points on 13-for-16 shooting against Oakland in the regular-season finale.

“He scores in phases. He can score on the fast break, he can post up, he can get to his spots,” said UDM coach Mark Montgomery. “He also brings the, ‘Gimme the ball in the biggest moments, and I’ll take over.’”

Lovejoy might have to take over more than usual against a tough Robert Morris team. The Colonials are the defending Horizon League champions and have beaten the Titans twice this year, with an 85-77 win in Detroit on March 2 and a 73-62 win at home on Feb. 25.

“We turned the ball over in key moments in those games, and then we have to keep them off the offensive glass,” said Montgomery of the Colonials. “We’re gonna get down to Indy, we’re going to enjoy a day, and then we’re going to lock in and know it’s one-and-done time.”

As for Lovejoy, who only gets four tickets to give to friends and family for the upcoming game, he expects to have a big travelling crowd to support him and the local team.

“I don’t know who I’m not bringing to Indianapolis,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of people coming to support as they did ever since I started playing basketball.”

Detroit Mercy basketball time vs Robert Morris in Horizon League semifinal

Date: Monday, March 9.
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET.
Location: Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis.

UDM is looking for its fourth conference tournament win and first since 2012.

Detroit Mercy basketball channel vs Robert Morris in Horizon League semifinal

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. ET.
Channel: ESPN2.
Streaming: Fubo.

Monday’s Horizon League semifinal game featuring UDM and Robert Morris will be televised on ESPN2 and can be streamed on Fubo, which carries ESPN channels.

Watch Detroit Mercy-Robert Morris on Fubo

Horizon League tournament results

Play-in: No. 11 Cleveland State 101, No. 10 IU Indianapolis 93.
First round: No. 5 Green Bay 64, No. 6 Purdue.
First round: No. 1 Wright State 90, No. 10 Cleveland State 61.
First round: No. 2 Robert Morris 68, Youngstown State 53.
First round: No. 3 UDM 84, No. 8 Milwaukee 63.
First round: No. 7 Northern Kentucky 85, No. 4 Oakland 84.
Sunday, March 8, Second round: No. 5 Green Bay vs No. 7 Northern Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+).
Monday, March 9, Semifinal: No. 1 Wright State vs TBD, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU).
Monday, March 9, Semifinal: No. 2 Robert Morris vs No. 3 UDM, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
Tuesday, March 10, Final: TBD vs TBD, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).

Detroit Mercy NCAA tournament history

UDM hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since the 2011-12 season and has only made the tournament six times in program history..

Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!

You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

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Detroit, MI

Multiple tornadoes reported in Southwest Michigan amid severe weather

Published

18 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Multiple tornadoes reported in Southwest Michigan amid severe weather

Updated on: March 6, 2026 / 7:42 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

At least two tornadoes were reported in Southwest Michigan on Friday amid severe weather, according to CBS Detroit’s Chief Meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey.

Two of the tornadoes were reported in Union City and Three Rivers, while a possible third tornado may have been in St. Joseph County. Bajjey says the tornadoes caused significant damage. According to Consumers Energy, more than 3,200 customers are without power as of 7:40 p.m. on Friday.

Official reports of fatalities or injuries are unknown, but CBS-affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo reports that the Branch County medical examiner is on scene in Union City.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the storms in Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties. The department says the center will be supporting local requests for assistance.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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