Detroit Sued For Negligence in Fighting Fire Where Firefighters Posed for Photo

A Detroit property owner whose building caught fire on New Years Eve has filed suit against the city’s fire department over a photo depicting a group of firefighters posing in front of the blazing home.

The photo of Deonte Higginbotham’s burning house went viral and prompted questions about why eighteen firefighters were posing rather than extinguishing the fire. The building was under construction at the time, and fire officials reported that the fire was too dangerous for personnel to enter. Discipline was handed down to those involved, although the details remain sketchy.

Higginbotham claims at the time of the fire he was rehabbing the house for his grandmother. A copy of the complaint is not available at present, but according to clickondetroit.com, the suit alleges negligence.