MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ) — A group of three sanitation workers are being hailed as heroes Thursday after saving a Macomb County woman from a fire in her Mount Clemens home.
According to Macomb County Sheriff's Department officials, a house in the 100 block of Inches Street, in the area of Gratiot Ave. and Clinton River Drive, went up in flames around 8:15 a.m.
Three Priority Waste workers — driver Gary Whitcher and loaders Norberto Altman and Keeyon Beaty, Jr. — were out on their route, collecting garbage in the neighborhood, when they spotted the house on fire and jumped into action.
While Whitcher called 911 to report the fire, the two others ran to the house and helped pull the woman to safety. Officials say the woman's dog did not survive.
Police and fire crews responded to the scene a short time later and were able to have the fire extinguished by about 10 a.m.
Altman told WWJ's Jon Hewett his initial instinct was to check to see if anyone was inside the home.
"I yelled out first, thought I heard someone, so I kicked in the front door," Altman said. "We were about to run in, then we came back out because there was too much smoke. I heard a lady in the room next door, then we yanked the window open and pulled her out the window."
The 65-year-old woman was uninjured after escaping, but her dog unfortunately did not survive, officials said.
Mount Clemens Fire Chief Dan Reynolds says there is no doubt in his mind, the actions of the Priority Waster crew prevented a tragedy.
“I told those men, ‘I won’t try to get too churchy on ya, but between you and me, the hand of God intervened’ and put them in the right place at the right time, and thank goodness for that.”
While the cause of the fire is not yet known, A Macomb County Sheriff's Department spokesperson said foul play is not suspected at this time.
Stay with WWJ for more on this developing story.
More on today's top stories: