Brunswick couple alerts residents to house fire after spotting flames on drive home - Video

What started as a routine trip to the post office turned into an unexpected encounter for a Brunswick couple Tuesday night after they spotted flames coming from a home and stopped to help the people inside escape.

Caeli Melland and Bailey Hagan, a Medina police officer, were heading home after dropping off thank-you cards from Melland's bridal shower when they took a shortcut down Maxwell Boulevard.

As they drove through the neighborhood, they noticed what initially appeared to be a Halloween decoration outside a home.

But when they slowed down and saw smoke, they realized the house was on fire.

"We were driving there to drop off our thank yous for my bridal shower, and when we got to the house, we saw, like, the flames, but we kind of just thought it could be a Halloween decoration," Melland said.

With no one else around, Melland called 911 while Hagan got out of the vehicle and began banging on the front door to alert anyone who might be inside.

"Once I saw the flames, the house looked dark," Hagan said, explaining that he noticed a vehicle parked in the driveway and wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

The residents eventually answered the door, unaware that their home was burning.

Hagan told them about the fire and urged them to evacuate. The two residents were able to escape before firefighters arrived.

Hagan said the flames were spreading rapidly, moving from the lower portion of the home toward the roof.

Melland said the situation was unlike anything she had experienced. --

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