Overview
- Deputy Brandon Musse was the first to arrive and, facing heavy smoke, pushed a curbside trash bin under a second-floor window and used it to reach and lower two boys to safety.
- The sheriff's office says the children could not escape on their own and that the improvised maneuver allowed both boys to get out before conditions inside the house worsened on Friday, July 10.
- Orion Township firefighters entered the home, extinguished the fire and rescued the family's dog before the blaze spread further.
- Paramedics checked the 10- and 12-year-old brothers at the scene, took them to Trinity Health for treatment of smoke inhalation, and both were later released.
- Police released body and drone footage of the rescue and Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard publicly praised Musse, while investigators continue to examine the cause of the fire and officials say the case highlights how seconds and improvisation matter in residential fires.