SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – Knowing there was no time to wait for backup, two firefighters rushed into a burning home to save a 23-year-old woman with cerebral palsy trapped inside.
Firefighters in San Bernardino arrived around 11:15 a.m. Monday at a single-story home that was engulfed with flames. Family members quickly told them a 23-year-old woman with cerebral palsy described as having “access and functional needs” was trapped inside.
“The mother of the victim was screaming frantically that her daughter is inside still,” said firefighter Jesse Quiceno with the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. “I have two children of my own, so there was definitely a sense of urgency.”
Quiceno grabbed his captain, Nic Turner, and the two rushed into the flames, knowing there was no time to wait for backup to arrive. The firefighters crawled through the burning home from room to room in flames so hot they melted their protective gear and everything around them.
“We’re crawling down the hallway with smoke to the floor – zero visibility,” Turner said. “My hands were getting stuck to things because stuff was melting around me.”
As they continued their search, the firefighters were having trouble locating the doorknob to a back room, but a stroke of luck led them through the doorway.
“I just happened to have my hand in the right spot and felt the handle,” Turner said.
The firefighters heard a hushed moan from the bed, where they found the 23-year-old woman they were so desperately searching for.
“I moved over and found the victim lying in the bed. I grabbed her and told her, ‘I got you, and I’m not gonna let you go,’” Turner said.
On the other side of the wall, San Bernardino County Fire Capt. Greg Soria and his crew had just arrived. He also heard the mother’s pleas, and she told him which room was her daughter’s.
From opposite sides of the wall, all the firefighters worked simultaneously to get the 23-year-old out of the intensifying blaze. Soria and his crew smashed windows to provide an easy exit route for Quiceno, Turner and the young woman.
“We’re often left with bad outcomes, but seeing such a great outcome really makes the job worthwhile when it’s hard. This is what we live for, and I’m incredibly proud,” Turner said.
Firefighters say the 23-year-old remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition, as of Tuesday.
While her family lost their home, they’re beyond grateful that everyone – including the family dog who firefighters also rescued – was able to get out alive.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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