The women suffered smoke inhalation from the fire, according to the family. Here’s what we know.<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2014 Two Valley women remain hospitalized after narrowly escaping an apartment fire in Phoenix.<\/p>\n
Family credits a Phoenix police officer for reportedly going inside the burning building to save their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very grateful he was able to get my mom out, because I don\u2019t know what would have happened without my mom being out of there,” David Miller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The mother and daughter lived in the home near I-17 and Indian School Road. They were asleep when the fire started last Wednesday morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miller said it appears a lithium battery from an electric scooter may have started the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe battery started basically sparking and causing fire everywhere in the living room,” Miller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miller said his mother and sister were trapped inside with their two dogs. A metal security door was keeping them from escaping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe officer had to kick the screen down or get through the screen to be able to get to my sister, and then from there the officer went in and was able to get my mom out,” Miller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The officer and the two women were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miller said he hasn’t been able to speak with his mom or sister yet because they’re in medically induced comas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did inhale a lot of toxic fumes, and that\u2019s what a majority of this is,” Miller said.<\/p>\n
Their two dogs, Spirit and Sox, died in the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was the sweetest dog ever,” Miller said about Sox.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a little puppy dog, I held her. I was the first person to ever hold her,” He added about Spirit.<\/p>\n
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before they spread to nearby units.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miller said the home is a total loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing in there is really salvageable,” Miller said. \u201cEverything we own was inside, from family pictures to stuff that I had as a kid, even kitchen utensils I grew up eating on, they\u2019re not there no more.\u201d<\/p>\n
A fundraiser\u00a0<\/a>was created to help the family pay for medical expenses and replace lost items.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere, thanks to the 12News+ app!\u00a0<\/p>\n The free\u00a012News+\u00a0app from 12News lets users stream live events \u2014 including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”\u2014on\u00a0Roku<\/a> and\u00a0Amazon Fire TV<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 12News+\u00a0 showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.\u00a0<\/p>\n Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.\u00a0<\/p>\n Roku:\u00a0Add the channel from the Roku store<\/a> or by searching for “12 News KPNX.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWatch 12News+ for free\u00a0 <\/p>\n