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Citizen Rescuers Save 2 in Fiery Crash

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A SPONTANEOUS ASSEMBLY OF NEIGHBORS AND PASSING MOTORISTS sprang into action Wednesday night to save a woman and an infant from a raging car fire.

KGET-TV

The incident began when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and crashed into an auto broadside that was carrying two women and the 1-yr.-old baby.  The cars both careened across the highway and broke out in flames.  Immediately a swarm of citizens converged on the burning auto and heroically beat back the flames while breaking into the car and pulling the victims out while it was in full blaze.

Robert Singleton, 47, was one of the rescuers who got thevictims out of the car. 
“We were strangers coming together to help strangers,” Singleton said. “It was pretty crazy.”

KGET-TV Ch. 17 has this video report on the rescues:

The Bakersfield Californian has a good description of the rescue efforts HERE.

Bakersfield Now has filed this video containing interviews with the primary rescuers:

The infant’s mother perished in the crash, but the baby and the other woman who was driving the car are expected to fully recover.  The drunk driver was uninjured, but he was arrested and jailed, charged with felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.

Something for Everybody to Practice On

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THE BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS, FIREFIGHTERS and paramedics had a classic rescue scenario Monday evening that included:  an auto fire; entrapment; rollover; stabilization; extrication.

Around 6:25 pm a 41-yr.-old woman, according to the neighbors, blew through a stop sign at a high rate of speed, lost control of her car and rolled it into somebody’s front yard smashing into a tree.  A small fire broke out inside the car where the driver was folded into the wreckage and the homeowner dashed out with a fire extinguisher and tried to suppress the flames.

The Buffalo Grove FD arrived in short order and was able to put out the fire quickly before it advanced on the victim while the medics began primary care on her.  The car was on its side necessitating a stabilization procedure while the medics worked and the rescue crew began extricating the driver.

Fire photographer Larry Shapiro arrived on the scene and documented the entire operation with his always-top-quality photos, beginning with the extinguishment,

buffgrove a extinguishment

Followed by the primary care, then the stabilization of the car,

buffgrove b

buffgrove c

The driver was freed by cutting off the roof, even though the car was on its side,

buffgrove d

The driver was transported and has undergone surgery for severe leg injuries, according to the Daily Herald which has the full STORY HERE.

To view Larry Shapiro’s complete photo gallery of 70 images that show much more of this OJT, CLICK HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  Look through the gallery and I think you’ll agree that the Buffalo Grove FD really had their act together.

Auto Fire Brings Rescue Surprise

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WHEN THE RICHFIELD, MINNESOTA, FIREFIGHTERS FROM Sta. 1 responded to an auto fire Sunday night, they had a little “surprise.”  Arriving on the scene they found a car pretty well involved in the rear and filled with thick smoke.  When the officer shined his light into the passenger area, he couldn’t see anybody.  But moments later another FF briefly spotted somebody in the driver’s seat enveloped in the heavy smoke as the fire was entering the rear section.

The crew related their experience and how they managed to rescue the unconscious woman who was trapped inside to a news crew from KMSP-TV Ch. 9 Minneapolis:

The story serves as a good reminder to everybody that it isn’t always “just an auto fire.”  One of Richfield’s chief officers passes along this additional tip:  One thing the first officer on scene stated was that had he flowed water we would have burned the woman.  You just assume that everyone is out of the vehicle, might be a good reminder to tell people to ask questions first and flow water second.

6 Alarms in Rutherford

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rutherford a leader

The Leader

A SIXTH ALARM HAS JUST BEEN STRUCK IN RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, where a difficult fire is burning at an automobile repair and storage facility.  The fire was first reported as an auto fire shortly before 5:30 am, but the first-in units found the fire well underway inside the large facility.

FD response has been continually escalating since they arrived on the scene as they work to contain the fire in the building of origin and attack with multiple aerial streams.  WNYW-TV Ch. 5 NYC has this helicopter report from a couple of hours ago:

Some of the main roads have had to be closed because there are supply lines laid across them for the monitors, as well as some visibility problems in the area from the low-hanging smoke.  The demands of the master streams required the FF’s to lay out to other mains for additional supply.

Nick’s Towing Service has been in business for 36 years.

The Leader newspaper already has a good photo gallery posted HERE.