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Shuttered Detroit fire station hit by vandals

Sarah Cwiek
/
Michigan Radio

Another shuttered fire station in Detroit has been vandalized.

City officials confirmed Monday night that the former Engine 10 quarters in southwest Detroit was hit by vandals, and that some copper piping was stolen.

A fire department spokesman would not release further details about the extent of the vandalism Tuesday, saying the department was still looking into it.

This is the second time in recent weeks that a closed Detroit firehouse has fallen victim to vandals and scrappers--the former Engine 49 quarters suffered a similar fate. Fire department officials acknowledged that building was unsecured.

Engine 10 also did not appear to have been secured. Two outside windows were broken, but it was difficult to assess the damage done inside.

The building was shut down as Detroit's ongoing budget crisis forced drastic changes on the fire department this summer, closing and "browning out" a number of engine companies across the city.

Firefighters and some neighborhood activists say those moves have put both firefighters and residents in danger, as blazes burn longer and larger when engines are dispatched from further away.

Firefighters have sued, claiming the cuts violate fire prevention ordinances and the city charter.

Sarah Cwiek joined Michigan Public in October 2009. As our Detroit reporter, she is helping us expand our coverage of the economy, politics, and culture in and around the city of Detroit.
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