Westland police save elderly woman from burning home

WESTLAND, Mich. (FOX 2) - Bodycam footage shows the frantic moments Westland police arrived at a burning home Monday night.

Officers pulled the elderly woman to safety, but sadly her husband died in the blaze.

"The heroic actions of the officer, he just decided I'm going in, I can see her. He went in and grabbed a hold of her foot, yelled for his partners to pull her out," said Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik. "Typically a fire like that is going to be 500 degrees or more (at the) floor level. She suffered some pretty big burns."

"He gets pulled across the glass, he's cut up. His actions are what saved - we're hoping and praying that she's going to survive - but it's his actions which is why she's alive right now," said Fire Chief Michael Stradtner. 

She is 79 years old. Unfortunately, her 80-year-old spouse died in the fire.

The officer sustained several cuts but will fully recover. 

"According to witnesses, the woman dropped a cigarette, she wasn't able to put the fire out and it rapidly spread," said Stradtner. "I think the officer just realized, hey I can see this woman, I'm going to go in there and my partners will pull me out, and they did a great job."