Four young children left alone inside a Myrtle Beach home that caught fire were rescued by a witness, according to Myrtle Beach Police.

The children’s mother, Nubia Mireya Perez-Mejia, 30, was charged with four counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk of or cause harm or willfully abandon the child.

According to an arrest warrant, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department was called to a home on 4th Avenue North on June 21 in response to a house fire. When crews arrived, a witness stated that he noticed smoke coming out of the house.

When he went to the home, he saw four young children, at least one being 1-year-old, inside, the warrant said. The witness was able to get the children out of the house safely. The witness said there were no adults at the house with the children.

About 40 minutes later, Perez-Mejia, who is the mother of the children, returned home, the warrant said. None of the children were of age to provide care for the other children.

Myrtle Beach fire crews said that if the witness had not acted so quickly that the fire and smoke would have taken the life of the children, the warrant said.

Perez-Mejia remains in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.