3 Oakland Co. Officers Remain On Ventilators After House Fire Rescue

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — Patch is learning more information about a house fire that injured 12 people, including four responding officers, early Tuesday morning in Farmington Hills.

Officials received frantic 911 calls about a house fire in the 29000 block of 10 Mile Road in Farmington Hills at 5 a.m. Tuesday, officials said.

Farmington Hills Police officers arrived on the scene in less than 90 seconds and found the home fully engulfed in flames, officials said.

A resident told officers that multiple adults and children were still trapped inside the burning home, officials said.

Officers Devin Hunt, Muhieddine (Dean) Turk and Timothy Shingleton immediately rushed to the back of the property and broke into the home through a back door, officials said.

Working through intense smoke, heat and flames, the officers found an unconscious man trapped between a cabinet and a wall with a 7-year-old child pinned beneath him, officials said.

While the officers worked to free the man and child, another officer helped a second adult man to crawl over the man and safely out of the home, officials said.

The officers successfully freed the child and carried her to safety, officials said.

Officers then dragged the unconscious man toward a back door, where he regained consciousness and crawled out of the house with an officer's help, officials said.

Officer Antoneta Bucaj responded to a side door, where she helped one adult and one child exit the burning home, officials said.

The officers also rescued two cats, which were taken to a local animal hospital, officials said.

The other two adults and one child were already outside the home when officers arrived, officials said.

When firefighters arrived, the officers told them that all occupants were outside the home, officials said.

Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control and eventually put out the blaze, officials said.

The eight residents of the home and the four officers were taken to Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, officials said.

One adult woman and an infant were treated and released, while the other individuals were later transported to the following hospitals:

• Four adults were transported to the University of Michigan, three of whom remain in serious condition on ventilators.
• Two children were transported to the University of Michigan CS Mott Children’s Hospital.
• Four officers were transported to DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital. Three officers remain in serious, but stable condition and are currently on ventilators.

"The heroic actions of these four police officers exemplify the very best of public service," said Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh. "Without hesitation, they rushed into danger to rescue residents trapped in the burning home, demonstrating extraordinary courage and selflessness."

Unruh said investigators do not know what caused the fire, but said they do believe it started in a bedroom. He added the home did not have any working smoke alarms.

Unruh said the house is a total loss.