Woman, 2 children and baby pulled from burning home by Detroit firefighters

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit firefighters rescued a mother and her three young children from inside a burning home Monday afternoon in the 17300 block of Kentucky Street on the west side of city.

Firefighters rescued the mother, said to be in her late 20s, a 5-year-old girl, a 2-year-old boy, and a 4-month-old girl. All were hospitalized with smoke inhalation. 

By Monday evening, the 5-year-old girl's condition had improved, but the other three remain in critical condition from the smoke inhalation.

The fire started on the first floor in the back of the house at about 2 p.m. When firefighters rescued the family, they were trapped on the second floor. 

Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell said that the fire may have started from an accident. The smoke rose to the second floor and choked out the mother.  

Neighbor Antonio Wilson witnessed the rescue and said that the smoke was so thick, he witnessed one firefighter come out of the house and drop to his knees.

Still photo from viewer video of the house fire.

"I saw firefighters pull up, I looked up and I saw smoke coming from the top window," he said. "It was so black and so thick, I ran outside and I let them know that there's a family in that house. I saw them carry two babies out on that top ladder, man, and took them to that EMS truck and they took the two adults, one adult, and took them to that (other) EMS truck."

Sources tell FOX 2 that if one of the firefighters had not heard the baby gasping for air, they would not have known she was in the house. 

Investigators are looking into how the fire started.

Wilson said he believes the Detroit Fire Department's search and rescue team is the only reason the family made it out alive. 

"I salute the fire department," he said. "They came out and did their thing."