Retired firefighter, daughter save man from fire in Ann Arbor

Homeowner expected to be OK, cause of fire being investigated

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Former Farmington Hills firefighter Michael Harvey and his daughter Rachel, were among a handful of good Samaritans springing into action when they noticed an Ann Arbor home -- built in the late 1800s -- going up in flames Saturday night.

“We were at a stoplight, notice there was a fire in the living room of a home,” Michael Harvey said.

Original report: Ann Arbor Fire Department responds to Saturday night house fire

“I don’t think I could have lived with myself if we just drove by, we saw the fire we had to step into something,” Rachel Harvey said.

The blaze was intense that it took seven different fire departments to help put out the inferno on South Main Street.

But, before that could happen, Michael Harvey and a few other bystanders worked to bring the elderly man out safely.

“He was in the house, he was unconscious lying there, and we were able to pull him out,” he said.

“I don’t think this would have been possible without them they were, I mean they were the ones that initially like broke down,” Rachel Harvey said.

Rachel was able to help the man before an ambulance could arrive. She just so happens to be a med student at Oakland University.

“He was definitely more responsive was able to answer some questions, almost a little bit confused about the event,” she said.

While the exact cause of the fire is unknown, investigators have ruled it accidental and believe it may have started in the kitchen. Local 4 has been told there were a lot of belongings in the house that may have added to the structure quickly going up in flames.

The man who was rescued is suffering from second degree burns and is stable.

More: Ann Arbor news


About the Author

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

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