Oakland County deputy climbs trash bin to rescue children from house fire

An Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy climbed on a trash bin to rescue two children from a house fire in Orion Township last week. 

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said the two boys, a 10-year-old and his 12-year-old brother, were checked by EMS at the scene. They were treated at Trinity Health Hospital for smoke inhalation and released. 

The circumstances began about 4:52 p.m. July 10, when deputies assigned to the Orion Township Substation and firefighters from the Orion Township Fire Department responded to a house fire on Meadowbrook Court. The 911 caller said that two children were trapped on the second floor of the home and were unable to escape. 

The first deputy to arrive, Deputy Musse, noticed the two boys at an upstairs window as smoke filled the home. Given the urgency of the situation, the sheriff's office said, Musse pushed a curbside residential trash bin beneath the window so he could climb up and reach the children. 

Both boys were pulled out of the window and lowered to the ground below. 

"This incident could have had a far different outcome," Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said about the rescue. "Deputy Musse immediately recognized that every second mattered. His ability to rapidly assess the situation, improvise with the tools available and act without hesitation allowed these two young boys to escape what could have become a tragic situation. His actions exemplify the courage, professionalism and commitment our deputies demonstrate every day."   

In the meantime, Orion Township firefighters got into the house and rescued the family dog. 

The fire remains under investigation, deputies said.