Neighbors save man from Phoenix house fire
Feb 2, 2014, 8:55 AM | Updated: 8:56 am
PHOENIX — Phoenix firefighters are crediting a group of men with saving their neighbor’s life. Captain Ruben Saavedra told KTAR if the men hadn’t taken action, he believes the neighbor would have died in the house.
The fire broke out a little before 1:00 a.m. MST Sunday near 46th Avenue and Cactus Road. Saavedra says the group broke open a door and window and found the 67-year-old man lying on the floor lifeless in the front of the house.
“They started screaming, acknowledging to the patient to get up,” Saavedra said. “The patient woke up, saw them. I think that really woke him up and gave him the motivation he needed to get out of there.”
Saavedra noted that the men carried the victim out of the house.
“I spoke with one gentleman and you could tell he was still very worked up over the incident,” said Saavedra. “He didn’t want to speak to the media. These men here they definitely stepped up, and put their lives in harm’s way and they truly did some heroic acts so again we’d like to commend them and thank them for the great job they did and now all we’re hoping for is that the victim is able to survive this incident.”
The victim, whose name has not been released, suffered extensive second and third-degree burns. At last check, he was in critical condition. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
