Andover, Minnesota — A Minnesota mother and her 9-month-old baby are safe after a fire destroyed a portion of their home in northwest Andover on Monday morning.
Alannah Thies awoke to the sound of her dogs coughing and thick smoke filling the house. “Right then and there, I took a breath and I knew something was wrong,” Thies said over the phone from her hospital room on Tuesday night. “I couldn’t get out into the hallway. It was extremely smoky.”
It was just before 7 a.m., and Thies’ partner, David Olsen, had left for work. Thies claimed she was unable to reach the nursery, where 9-month-old Reed was sleeping, as the fire raged.
According to Andover Fire Chief Dennis Jones, multiple agencies responded to the emergency after learning that a baby was trapped inside the home.
“Mother, you could tell, was trying to get back into the dwelling to save her baby,” Jones recalled. “But neighbors and responders held her back.”
First responders successfully rescued baby Reed by climbing through a window.
“Quick actions of our sheriff’s deputy and our deputy chief; we were able to get through a window and find the baby right there in the nursery.”
Jones also praised Thies for making the simple but critical decision to keep the nursery door closed, which likely contributed to Reed’s survival by slowing the spread of the fire.
“Thankfully, the parents had the door closed and it bought us extra time,” according to him.
Thies and baby Reed were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center on Tuesday for a series of tests to rule out any injuries from the fire and smoke. Thies reported that both are in good health.
“[Reed] is doing great. He is smiling, clapping, and scooching around as much as he can.”
Though the family lost their home, belongings, and two dogs in the fire, Thies expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the first responders who rescued her child.
“It’s an incredible loss,” she said. “We lost our pets. We lost our home and our belongings, but we have what’s important to us and we’re eternally grateful to the people that helped us and helped Reed.”
An online fundraiser was launched to support the family.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Jones provided several fire safety tips, including checking smoke detectors at least once a month and replacing batteries twice a year. The acronym EDITH, he explained, stands for Exit Drills In The Home.
“Practise with your family. How would you get out of the house? When you get outside, set up a meeting place. When you’re outside, stay there. Don’t go back in for your pets, favorite toys, or even a missing family member; they could be on the other side of the house, coming to you.”
Jones also recommends closing bedroom doors overnight, as Thies had done. “We’ll do it forever,” she stated.