A medical emergency call in Monroe, Michigan, turned into a house-fire rescue Monday when firefighters discovered a 3-month-old baby inside a smoke-filled home.
Emergency crews were called around 11:43 a.m. to a home in the 400 block of Wadsworth Street after a 20-year-old woman reported that she was having trouble breathing. When Monroe police officers and firefighters arrived, they found that the situation was more serious than the initial call indicated.
A fire had started on the kitchen stove, filling the house with smoke. The woman who called 911 was found unconscious upstairs but was still breathing.
Firefighters quickly put out the kitchen fire and carried the woman outside so she could receive medical treatment. Monroe Community Ambulance then took her to a local hospital. She later spent time in intensive care but is expected to recover.
The rescue took an unexpected turn when firefighters searched the home again after removing the woman.
Crews had not been told that another person was inside. During their search of the smoke-filled house, they found a 3-month-old baby alone in an upstairs bedroom.
The infant was immediately carried outside. Officials said the baby was doing well and was not injured.
Monroe City Public Fire Commander Scott Smiley said the baby was found in a back bedroom near the room where the mother had been located. He also explained that firefighters do not typically expect to conduct an additional search of a home after responding to what initially appears to be a medical emergency.
In this case, however, crews decided to check the residence thoroughly after dealing with the fire and getting the woman to safety. That additional search led to the discovery of the infant.
Both the mother and baby are now recovering, according to officials.
The incident also underscored how quickly an emergency can change once first responders arrive. What began as a call about difficulty breathing became a fire response and ultimately a second rescue inside a smoke-filled home.
Officials have not indicated that the baby was injured in the incident, and the mother is also expected to recover.
The Monroe Public Safety Department said the response demonstrated the importance of thoroughly assessing a scene even when the original emergency call provides limited information.
