A courageous Kansas mother braved scorching flames and dense smoke to rescue her young child from her burning home.
On Wednesday, Officers Alex Brittain and Stephen Ramsdell of the Lawrence Police Department (LPD) were conducting a follow-up investigation at a residence in Garnett regarding an incident in Lawrence, the LPD said in a release. While the officers were speaking with a woman outside of her home around 3:30 p.m., Ramsdell realized that it was ablaze.
He notified Douglas County Dispatch, asking them to inform Anderson County Dispatch of the fire, while Brittain rushed to the front door to see if anyone was trapped inside, according to the LPD.
The Garnett fire chief arrived at the scene within two minutes, and a fire engine got to the home within another two minutes, according to a city of Garnett’s Facebook release.
Photos provided by Beth Mersman.
Posted by Garnett, Kansas on Thursday, February 24, 2022
The woman told Brittain that her child, aged two or three based on conflicting reports from the LPD and City of Garnett, was in the home. The mother and Brittain attempted to enter through the front door but were met with dense smoke and intense heat, as roughly a quarter of the structure was engulfed in flames, the LPD said.
“The searing heat and fire at the front door caused Officer Brittain to suffer minor burns to his left hand and face and singeing of hair on the left side of his head,” the LPD said. The officers then used a side door near the child’s bedroom to enter and began crawling into the smoke-filled home. Ramsdell and Brittain had trouble gathering their bearings through all of the smoke, though Ramsdell heard the child crying in a room, according to the LPD.
UPDATE: No streets are currently blocked. Thank you to all departments for their assistance. UPDATE: 4th is now closed…
Posted by Garnett Police Department on Wednesday, February 23, 2022
“Officers Ramsdell and Brittain were forced to evacuate momentarily to seek fresh air, as the suffocating smoke and scorching heat caused both officers to suffer inhalation burns throughout their airways,” the LPD stated in its release.
With half of the home now engulfed in flames, time was of the essence. Brittain rushed to the back of the residence in hopes of finding another way in, while the mother sprinted through the side door, the release stated.
“The child was rescued by the mother, and Officer Ramsdell stood in the doorway using his flashlight to signal and guide the mother through the blanketing smoke to safely escape from the enveloping blaze,” the LPD said.
Officers with the Garnett Police Department (GPD) also entered the residence to assist with rescue efforts, the GPD said in a release.
“Shoutout to the mom who risked it all to save her child,” the department said.
Three firefighters, both Lawrence officers, and the two victims all received treatment at a local hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burns, and all were subsequently released, according to the LPD and the city of Garnett.
“Thank you, Officer Ramsdell and Officer Brittain, for your unwavering courage in the face of certain danger to protect this mother and child from the catastrophic harm of the Garnett house fire,” the department said.
Though fire crews remained on scene for seven hours, the home was a total loss, and the cause of the fire is not yet known, according to the GPD and the city of Garnett. No foul play is expected.
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