A tragedy was avoided Monday when a Picayune Police Department detective saved a young girl’s life.

Det. Constance Myers saved the girl’s life from a fire by waking her up and getting her to answer the door before smoke inhalation could kill her.

Myers said the fire happened at about 8:24 a.m. Monday. She was passing by 308 N. Beech St. on her way to work when she saw smoke emanating from the vicinity of the home. As she passed by, she said she thought to herself that it was too early for anyone to be burning leaves and she didn’t see a chimney on the home.

Since the scene seemed suspicious to her, she turned around and then saw flames coming from the back of the house. She parked her cruiser and called dispatch to report the fire. A bike was visible on the front porch so Myers said she thought someone might be inside the home.

After several attempts to see if anyone was home by banging on the door, no one answered. She tried to look in the window but could not see inside. Just when Myers was about to kick in the door, a young girl answered the door, still groggy from sleep, she said. Myers said she attempted to tell the girl she was in danger but she was so groggy that she didn’t understand.

“I just grabbed her and pulled her out on to the porch,” Myers said.

Myers then went back to the front door and looked inside, all she could see was smoke in the whole house. To make sure no one was left inside she went inside and called out while looking around until she was almost overcome by the smoke, she said.

After she didn’t find anyone else inside, she left the home and called for a fire truck.

The young girl had no shoes or jacket on so Myers said she put her in the back seat of her cruiser to keep her warm.

“I was just doing what anybody else would do. I was just doing my job,” Myers said.

After further investigation into the incident, Myers determined that the young girl was asleep in the room where the fire occurred.