FOX 8 News reported that a Medina County man and his fiancé were driving home Tuesday night when they spotted a fire outside a house on Maxwell Boulevard in Brunswick. The man, identified as 26-year-old Bailey Hagan, is an off-duty police officer. According to the report, a plugged-in lit pumpkin decoration had ignited and was spreading to the home. While his fiancé called 911, Hagan went to the front door and knocked loudly, initially getting no response.
Hagan persisted until the family woke and got out as flames moved to the second floor and attic, the report said. Brunswick firefighters arrived soon afterward and attacked the blaze. They later searched the smoke-filled house and found the family cat hiding in the basement.
Investigators said the home had working smoke detectors, but the fire’s outside start and upward spread on vinyl siding meant the detectors did not alert the family before Hagan did, according to FOX 8. Brunswick Fire Assistant Chief Brian Cyphert said the man’s intervention may have been critical to the family’s survival. Officials also highlighted fire safety lessons: sleeping behind a closed door and using GFI outlets, proper extension cords and safe electrical loads for outdoor decorations. The homeowner expressed gratitude, while Hagan described his actions as what any good citizen or neighbor would do.