ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A rarely-used medical kit helped save a man's life after he was trapped in a mobile home fire early Tuesday morning in the Alpine Meadows Mobile Home Park north of Walker.
Alpine Township firefighters were able to locate the man and extract him from the burning mobile home. Paramedics then administered a specialized cyanide treatment kit – a rare but life-saving intervention.
"If it wasn't for the Cyanokit that the paramedics administered, then there's no question that he wouldn't be alive right now," said Jeremy Kelly, Alpine Township deputy fire chief.
The victim was transported to Butterworth Hospital in critical condition and at last report remains in the ICU.
The "Cyanokit" is an IV medication that combats cyanide poisoning from inhaling smoke in structure fires, which occurs when burning plastics, furniture and building materials release cyanide compounds. These compounds attach to red blood cells more readily than oxygen, preventing the body from transporting oxygen.
"We can administer to somebody that's been in a smoke-filled environment for an extended period of time to help bring oxygen back into their body," said Magen Askew, a critical care paramedic with Life EMS who administered the treatment.
Only four fire departments in Ottawa County carry the expensive kits, and the Wright Talmadge Township Fire Department had provided theirs to the scene as backup support.
For Askew, a 14-year veteran paramedic, this was her first time administering the rare antidote.
"This victim didn't have much trauma on him, other than the smoke inhalation," Askew said. "So it was foremost in my mind that if the medication is going to work, it's going to be this one, and he needs it sooner rather than later."
The fire presented multiple challenges for responders. The mobile home park lacks fire hydrants, requiring water to be shuttled about a mile from the nearest hydrant. Alpine Township firefighters initially arrived with only two personnel, limiting their ability to conduct searches while fighting the fire. In all, four fire departments fought the fire.
"The big thing with mobile homes is they burn fast. They're rapid and they're fast," Kelly said.
The man's wife was able to escape the fire on her own. Two dogs and a cat were inside the home – one dog escaped, but the other dog and cat are presumed dead.
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