SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The fire started in a first floor unit of the Crystal Lake apartments and spread very quickly.
"Our crews, our battalion chief made some quick tactical decisions to get the fire out, because they were that close to losing the whole building with the fire spread," said Shelby Township Fire Chief Jim Swinkowski.
Because the flames spread at such a fast rate, the Oakland County Sheriff's arson investigators went inside Wednesday with a dog sniffing for accelerants. About an hour later, fire investigators exited the building with items needing further examination at the Michigan State Police lab.
"(They found) nothing that I can comment on or that I'm aware of," said Swinkowski.
The heroics were Tuesday night. Dashcam video from a Shelby Township police officer's vehicle shows a 4-year-old child dropped to safety from a 2nd-floor balcony. Neither the officer nor the family wanted to speak with reporters on Wednesday.
Another rescue happened Wednesday afternoon. Bailey the kitten had gone into hiding during the fire. His owners returned Wednesday to search, and they found him.
No one was hurt and no pets were lost. There is no indication when displaced families will be able to move back in.