The scene that greeted Deputy Zachary Deng of the Macomb County Sheriff's Office as he entered the home.Macomb County SO
Macomb County, Michigan, sheriff's deputies kicked in the door of a home and rescued a 74-year-old man who was on fire early Wednesday.
According to the sheriff's office, Deputy Zachary Deng arrived at the home in Macomb Township just before 1:30 a.m. and saw flames through the door. He kicked the door until he finally got inside, Fox 2 reports.
Deng then attempted to smother the fire with a blanket, but it didn't quell the flames.
Deputies Johnathon Korte and Thomas Bartoli arrived next and went inside the smoke-filled home to help. As the deputies struggled to breathe through the thick smoke, Deng began sweeping the chair with a fire extinguisher. He then had to leave the house because of breathing difficulty.
Korte took over sweeping the fire with the extinguisher while another deputy removed the family dog named Keeva from the home.
The injured man was taken to a hospital, where he is listed as stable. The woman was treated and released. All three deputies were also seen for smoke inhalation and were released.
"I sincerely commend the valiant efforts of these deputies in this life-threatening situation," said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham. "They acted swiftly and selflessly, preventing an even greater tragedy from occurring."
