A fire at a house on Hillcrest Road in Grosse Pointe Farms burned so hot, it melted the siding on a neighbor’s home.
By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published February 10, 2026
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — The cause of a devastating house fire in the 300 block of Hillcrest Road that claimed the life of a 74-year-old Grosse Pointe Farms man remained under investigation at press time.
At around 10:21 p.m. Jan. 24, Farms Public Safety received a 911 call from a neighbor of the victim.
“The caller said, ‘There’s flames everywhere,’” said Farms Fire Chief/Deputy Public Safety Director Andrew Rogers.
Seeing no vehicles in the driveway or the garage, Rogers said first responders were hoping the house was empty. One of the first firefighters on the scene broke down the front door and called out to see if anyone was in the home but got no response.
A neighbor contacted the victim’s wife — who was at work at a nearby hospital — and she alerted first responders that her husband was in the house. Firefighters immediately entered the home, but the ones who headed for the second floor were met by flames “ripping over their heads,” and debris was raining down on them from the ceiling as they searched for the victim, Rogers said. The victim was already dead. He was found covered in debris in a second-floor bathroom.
“The interior crew that went upstairs looking for him — they’re upset,” said Rogers, noting that they had hoped to be able to save the victim. “The whole thing is unfortunate. … It’s just sad.”
This was the first fatal fire in the Farms in at least two decades, Rogers said.
It wasn’t known at press time whether the victim died of smoke inhalation or a medical emergency; an autopsy was being performed at press time to determine his cause of death.
While Farms officers arrived at the house within two minutes of getting the 911 call, Rogers said it appeared once they got there that the fire had been raging for some time before the neighbor noticed it and called them.
Firefighters and equipment from Grosse Pointe Shores and Grosse Pointe Woods were called in immediately as part of their mutual aid agreement, and Rogers said when they saw the extent of the blaze, a call for a second alarm went out, bringing additional first responders from Grosse Pointe City and Harper Woods. Rogers said the “brutal” cold and icy conditions that accompanied it made this a challenging fire to fight.
Bitterly cold recent temperatures also delayed an investigation into what started the blaze.
“Everything’s frozen, so there’s nothing we can do right now,” Rogers said in late January.
He said they believe the fire started on the second floor, although that won’t be determined until the investigation is complete.
The house will eventually need to be taken down.
“There’s no saving this house,” Rogers said.
It wasn’t known at press time whether the house had working smoke detectors, but that’s one of the devices fire officials recommend that every home have.
“Have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your house,” Rogers said. “Don’t leave space heaters unattended.”
Other safety tips he offered are reading the manufacturer warning on extension cords, as those are often used improperly, and having easily accessible fire extinguishers that people know how to use. For example, Rogers said the extinguisher should be aimed at the base of the fire, not at the flames.
Rogers encouraged families to have an escape plan for a fire, including a meeting place outside the house, such as a neighbor’s house.
Especially at this time of year, when people are less likely to be out and about, Rogers urged residents to check on their neighbors — in particular, if those neighbors are seniors.