Farmington Hills police officers rescue residents from burning house

FARMINGTON HILLS — Four Farmington Hills Police Department officers are being credited with saving eight people from a burning home in the 29000 block of 10 Mile Road April 1.

The officers and the residents were all hospitalized. The officers were released the following day.

It was a Tuesday morning just before 5 a.m. when the Farmington Hills Police Department and the Farmington Hills Fire Department received "frantic" 911 calls about a fire at a home located near Middlebelt Road. 

At a joint press conference with Farmington Hills Fire Department Chief Jon Unruh the afternoon of April 1, Farmington Hills Police Department Chief John Piggott said that officers arrived at the home within 90 seconds of being alerted.

The fire was in the front section of the home.

When police arrived on the scene, they kicked open a door, crawled into the home and called to those inside. Officers then pulled and carried those in the home to safety, using a flashlight to see through the black smoke that filled the house and help those inside see a way out, according to Piggott. 

Once in the house, police saw a man who weighed approximately 300 pounds pinned between a cabinet and a wall unconscious, with a 7-year-old girl caught underneath him. According to Piggott, it appeared the man was carrying the girl in an effort to try to exit the home, but collapsed due to the smoke.

 Officers also assisted a man who was trying to get out of the house by having him crawl over the collapsed individual. Officers carried the girl to safety and dragged the unconscious man outside, where he regained consciousness.

Piggott discussed how the actions of the officers likely saved lives.

“I have no doubt in mind that if the officers were not actively tugging on them and calling to them and pulling them, they would have had no way to know how to get out of that house,” Piggott said.  “We would have at least three fatalities.”

According to Piggott, the officers did not have ventilation equipment or special protective gear.

“The Fire Department will tell you it is the toxic chemicals that are in the smoke that are every bit as dangerous as the flames themselves,” he said. “You can see the rolling black smoke that is going over them. … They did not come out. They kept pursuing and penetrating in that house, trying to find more people.”

Piggott added that, “I couldn’t be more proud of the way our officers responded to this event.”

Unruh shared some thoughts about the character of the police officers who went into the burning home.

“I think it’s natural,” he said. “(For) anybody who is a public safety professional, we’re out here to save the public and we’re out here to serve the public.” 

The eight people inside the home ranged in age from 5 months to 32 years old, according to Unruh.

Crews were dispatched from all five of the Farmington Hills Fire Department stations. When the first of the 23-person crew arrived at the scene, the people living in the house were already outside.

Unruh described the scene as “chaotic,” as crews were providing life support treatment for smoke inhalation on the scene to the eight individuals living in the home and the four officers rendering aid.

Extinguishing the fire, which took about 15 minutes, also added to the chaos. The patients were transported to a local hospital, which took approximately 25 minutes from the time crews arrived on the scene, according to Unruh.

The four officers were later transported to DMC Receiving Hospital.

Officers Devin Hunt, Muhieddine (Dean) Turk and Timothy Shingleton were put on ventilators. Officer Antoneta Bucaj was not on a ventilator, but was under observation, according to Piggott.

All of the officers were released from the hospital April 2. According to a press release from the city of Farmington Hills, they will continue their recovery until they are cleared to return to duty. 

After initially being transported to a local hospital, the adults and children in the home were transferred to other hospitals.

Three of the individuals were reportedly in critical condition and three were in stable condition. Two were released, according to Unruh.

Officers also rescued two cats from the home, which were being treated at a local animal hospital, according to the release.

The house where the fire took place was a total loss, according to Unruh. 

Because the home is owned by a faith-based organization, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — ATF — was notified. The federal law enforcement agency is responsible for investigating arson, explosives and other related crimes.

The Farmington Hills investigative team consists of Farmington Hills firefighters who are trained in fire investigation and Farmington Hills Police Department detectives, according to Unruh.

At press time, the fire was still under investigation.

The Farmington Hills investigative team did not notice anything suspicious after their first look, according to Unruh, who acknowledged the ATF’s assistance.

“We took advantage of their help. So that is the reason ATF is currently on the scene assisting our investigators,” Unruh said at the press conference. “Nothing should be read any further, as far as their involvement on the scene.”

According to Unruh, there were no working smoke alarms in the home.

“I can’t emphasize (enough) how much these small electronic things work, and they save lives every day,” he said. “And if you’re a Farmington Hills resident, you can call fire headquarters and you can get them installed for free. There is no doubt that if they would have had a working smoke alarm, we’d be having a different conversation, and probably, there would not be anybody in the hospital.”

Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.