MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. - Three Muskegon Heights firefighters are getting a lifesaving medical and certificate of thanks for taking why the chief called exceptional risk to rescue citizens from danger.
The team rescued a 32-year-old woman and 4-year-old girl from an apartment fire on Memorial Day weekend in 2017. Without the firefighters actions, the fire chief said that the two who have died in the smoke and the flames.
On May 28, 2017 around 3:20 a.m. the firefighters responded to the fire where they saw heavy smoke and flames in the front window. Lt. John Krieger forced the door open and entered the building.
Then, firefighters Steve Smith and Tyler Krieger entered the building seconds later. First, Lt. John Krieger found Kylah Spencer, 4, unconscious in a stairwell.
Tyler Krieger continued up to the second floor of the building where he found Shontika Bradford, 32. He picked her up and carried her out of the apartment to the paramedics.
Bradford said she has no memory of the fire or the rescue. "If it weren't for them, we wouldn't be here."
"If it were not for the fast action bravery and sacrifice of this team of firefighters, both victims would have succumbed to the smoke and toxic gasses," said the fire chief Christopher Dean.
Investigators later determined that the fire was deliberately set by an acquaintance of the woman inside. He was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.