Orion Township, MI – An Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with rescuing two children trapped inside a burning Orion Township home after helping them escape through a second-story window before conditions worsened.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and firefighters responded at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Friday, July 10, to a reported house fire in the 2900 block of Meadowbrook Court. A 911 caller reported that two children were trapped on the second floor and unable to escape.
Authorities said the first deputy to arrive, Deputy Musse, saw the two boys at an upstairs window as smoke filled the home. To reach them, the deputy quickly positioned a residential trash receptacle beneath the window to gain enough height to safely assist the children. Using the improvised platform, he helped both boys climb through the window and safely lowered them to the ground.
Firefighters with the Orion Township Fire Department then entered the home and rescued the remaining family members and the family’s dog while extinguishing the fire before it could spread further.
According to the sheriff’s office, the rescued children, a 10-year-old Orion Township boy and his 12-year-old brother, were transported to Trinity Health Hospital. Both were treated for smoke inhalation and later released.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised Deputy Musse’s actions, saying his quick assessment of the situation and willingness to improvise helped prevent what could have been a tragic outcome.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office also commended responding deputies and the Orion Township Fire Department for their coordinated response. Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
