BY TERI STILES
Oxford Leader Staff Writer
Quick thinking and fast action by Oxford babysitters Kathleen Roberts, 19 and Theresa Miner, 18, saved the lives of two children during a Lake Orion house fire Feb.5.
Roberts said their actions were not heroic because they were just doing what they were supposed to do.
‘The firefighters are the heroes. We just took care of the kids,? Roberts said. ‘I can’t say enough about the firefighters, while we were running out of the house, they were running in,? she said.
The pair were baby-sitting 3-year old McKenzie and 1-year old Gavin Hanigan at the home of Miner’s aunt and uncle Lisa and Brian Hanigan in Lake Orion.
Roberts said while Miner was upstairs playing with the kids, she was in the kitchen doing the dishes when she noticed a red glow reflecting on the window in front of her.
A decorative tree in the living room was on fire and the main floor was filling quickly with smoke.
Roberts ran upstairs yelling for Miner and her sister, Liz, to get the kids out of the house while she grabbed one-year old Gavin, who was sleeping in his bed.
‘I grabbed the baby so fast he didn’t know what hit him,? said Roberts. ‘I (buried) his face into my shoulder tight to keep him from breathing in the smoke.?
‘There was about a 20-second difference between being OK and not OK,? Roberts said as she described how fast the house filled with smoke and flames as they escaped.
‘From the time I saw the fire to the time we came back downstairs was only about 15 seconds, but the smoke and flames had already taken over the living room so we went down the back stairs ? that’s what saved us,? Roberts said.
The smoke and flames were spreading fast, but the girls were faster.
‘We had the kids out before the smoke alarm went off,? Roberts said.
With no coats, shoes, socks, or blankets, Roberts, Miner, her sister, and a friend escaped with the children to the safety of a neighbor’s home.
Unfortunately, the Hanigan family pets were still in the burning home.
Liz’s fiance? Matt Heesley was also at the scene and returned to the home in an attempt to rescue the dog and cat, but increasing smoke and flames prevented the young man from reentering.
He left the doors open in hopes the animals would find the exit.
According to an Oakland County Sheriff’s report, both animals were found in an upstairs bedroom after Orion firefighters extinguished the blaze.
According to Roberts, the cat was deceased, but Bailey, the dog, was still breathing, so the firefighters began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and transported her to a 24-hour veterinarian clinic.
Although her will to live seemed strong, Bailey survived only a week after being trapped in the fire. She died on Feb. 11.
‘I feel so badly about the animals,? said Roberts. ‘It’s hard to know they were inside, but what we had to do was get the kids out. That was our responsibility.?
Although she’s relieved that everyone was safe, Roberts admitted things could have been handled differently.
While the Miner and Roberts have been regular baby-sitters for the Hanigans, Roberts said they should have discussed emergency procedures with the parents before watching their children.
‘Brian and Lisa are great people and great parents,? she said, but families typically have emergency plans with their children that baby-sitters need to know.
Roberts said baby-sitters need to know things like it’s okay to not try to save the family pets and not get coats for the kids. Just get the children as far away from the house as possible.
Both girls would like to share their experience with kids enrolled in local baby-sitting classes and listen to the 9-1-1 tapes from the fire.
‘We were panicky,? said Roberts. ‘We would like to review what to do and what not to do.?
Currently, the Hanigan family, who Roberts said lost everything because of smoke and fire damage, are living with relatives.
Arrangements are being made for clothing donation drop-off sites for the family.
Although the fire is still under investigation, officials said the cause appears to have been accidental in nature.