Family Trapped in Burning House Saved After Family Member Grabs Firefighter Through Barred Window

By Amanda Thomason January 4, 2022 at 6:43am

On Sunday morning, a family of seven became trapped in their San Diego home when a fire broke out. One managed to get out of the house unassisted, but the other six were stuck, waiting at the mercy of the blaze and their rescuers.

When first responders arrived, they were told a large family was inside the single-story home.

As firefighters walked around and surveyed the situation, trying to locate survivors, one passed by a window with security bars over it. As he passed by, an arm shot out and grabbed him.

The family members were in the room, unable to escape thanks to the security measure they’d taken with the windows. Thankfully, firefighters were able to handle the issue quickly.

“They cut the bars off of that window, dragged probably four to five people out of that position,” Battalion Chief Mike McBride with San Diego Fire-Rescue said, according to KSWB-TV.

Thankfully, all the victims, ages 10 to 78, received attention on the scene. They were also transported to a hospital to receive further treatment for smoke inhalation. One person sustained severe, life-threatening burns from the fire.

“It’s not a mass casualty, it’s a multi-patient incident,” McBride said, according to KNSD-TV. “It never at any point overwhelmed the resources that were at the scene.”

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department later posted photos of the incident on social media.

“Sunday morning at about 6 a.m., SDFD dispatchers received several calls about a fire at a home on Malcolm Drive in the College Area,” the department’s Facebook post read.

“Firefighters arrived quickly and rescued six people — four adults and two children — from the burning house. One adult was able to exit the home on his own.

“All seven residents were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries which ranged from smoke inhalation to serious burns. The patients range in age from 10 to 78.

“Firefighters quickly attacked the fire and were able to prevent it from spreading to nearby houses. The home where the fire happened is not habitable as it sustained a lot of damage.

“SDFD metro arson strike team investigators are investigating the cause. Excellent teamwork and quick action saved the resident of the apartment fire on Saturday and the entire family on Sunday!”

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