Bay Mills man saves neighbor from burning house

Thanks to the quick actions of one Bay Mills tribal citizen, another escaped the recent house fire without injuries.

Adrian Hatfield was on his deck on the afternoon of Friday, May 9, when he saw smoke and flames across his yard.

“I thought it was a brush fire,” he said. “I called 9-1-1, and went that direction so I could size it up for dispatch.”

Shortly after he heard a cry for help.

Hatfield ran in the direction of the smoke and saw the house engulfed in flames, along with the woods around it. He immediately ran into the home and carried out the resident, likely saving his life.

“I didn’t do it for glory, my firefighter instinct just kicked in, and someone needed help,” he said. “I knew I had a secondary egress to get out.”

Hatfield has more than 15 years firefighting experience, having worked with Bay Mills Township Fire & Rescue, U.S. Forest Service, and Bay Mills Wildland Firefighters.

“I don’t recommend anyone just goes into a burning house,” Hatfield added. “But I didn’t think twice.”

According to reports, Hatfield, exhausted from carrying out the resident, stood by to make sure he got the care he needed while the fire was being fought.

Although the fire spread to the area surrounding the home due to the dry conditions, the quick actions of Hatfield and first responders helped Bay Mills avoid a tragedy.

“It is no ordinary person that runs into a burning house to save someone. It is no ordinary person that puts themselves in danger to save a stranger. There’s no training or uniform that can teach what Adrian did, it came from within. Sometimes, in the most terrifying moments, someone steps up without hesitation and reminds us what real bravery looks like – on that day, that someone was Adrian,” said Whitney Gravelle, BMIC president.

Hatfield will be recognized by the Executive Council at an upcoming ceremony that is being planned.

The fire was extinguished a few hours after the call. The structure was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.