Dundee woman rescued from smoke

11/20/2011

DUNDEE, Mich. -- A Dundee police officer and firefighter rescued a woman who was unconscious in her apartment when a neighbor noticed smoke coming from her apartment Saturday morning.

The 23-year-old woman's name was not released by authorities.

Police said Joe Orosco, Jr., was coming home to the 173 Riley St. apartment building about 2:26 a.m. and noticed smoke coming from another apartment and heard the sound of a smoke detector.

Mr. Orosco called 911 and helped other tenants from the building, police said.

When police Sgt. Tom Redmond arrived on scene, he felt the exterior of the door and, when he got no response by knocking, he and firefighter Rob Justice forced entry. Inside they found the woman face down on the kitchen floor "suffering from smoke inhalation," authorities said.

Authorities said a burner on the stove was left on high and a pot of noodles "had burned to a crisp inside the pot" which was "red hot."

The woman regained consciousness when authorities rolled her onto her back, but they said she was incoherent and unaware of where she was or what was going on.

The woman was taken to Herrick Hospital in Tecumseh, Mich., where authorities said her condition was stable.