Officer catches child dropped from window as flames rage in Ajax home

An officer caught a child who a woman dropped from the second storey of a burning Ajax home overnight, as flames raged in the townhouse.

A spokesperson for the Town of Ajax said emergency crews responded to 23 Dooley Crescent, which is near Harwood Avenue North and Rossland Road West, at around 4:10 a.m. Friday for a fire at a two-storey townhome with residents still inside.

Durham Regional Police said officers arrived at the scene and saw heavy smoke coming from the front of the house.

The officers went to the back of the home, “which was filled with flames and heavy smoke,” police said.

A woman was yelling from a second-storey window while holding a child, and an officer yelled for the woman to drop the child to him, police said.

“She did and he was able to carry the child away to safety,” police said, adding that the child suffered minor injuries in the incident. The spokesperson for the Town of Ajax indicated that the child was taken to hospital.

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The 45-year-old woman then jumped from the window, “causing significant injuries,” and was rushed to a Toronto-area trauma centre, police said.

She is reported to be in stable condition.

Meanwhile, a 41-year-old man was found at the front of the house without vital signs.

Firefighters began life-saving measures before officers took over, so that the firefighters could focus on putting out the blaze, police said.

Paramedics took the man to hospital and he is reported to be in life-threatening condition.

The Ontario fire marshal was called in and the cause of the blaze is being investigated, though police said it doesn’t appear suspicious.

“Ajax fire crews on scene did an excellent job at extinguishing the fire and containing the fire to a single home,” the spokesperson for the town said.

“Our wishes and prayers go out to the residents affected by this fire.

“Ajax Fire and Emergency Services would like to take this time as a sobering reminder to all residents, to ensure that all homes have working smoke alarms and the importance of a how escape plan.”