Yep. You read that title correctly. Earlier today, just after noon, I was getting things together to make lunch and before I turned my stove on, the smell of smoke caught my attention. It didn't seem to be coming from my house, but the smell was clearly increasing in intensity so I ran out back to look down the street and was shocked to see both jet black smoke and flame coming through the vents on the side of my next door neighbors garage. I don't recall saying it, but a neighbor recollected afterward to the LBFD that I yelled "Oh Sh*t" followed by what I do recall which was "Someone call 9-1-1, we need the Fire Department NOW!". I grabbed my garden hose and started putting water on the flames, as did 3 other neighbors who also were alerted by the smoke. It clearly wasn't slowing the rapidly spreading fire, when my neighbor Leah asked me if Dustin, the guy who rents the property, or his room-mates were home. In a second "oh sh*t" moment, i dropped the hose and ran into my garage to grab a 10lb sledge hammer and a respirator, knowing that if anyone was inside at this point they'd be unconscious. With the Fire Department still not there and no sirens approaching to my recollection, I ran through my house and out the front where other neighbors were banging on the front door because at least one of their vehicles was parked out front, so we assumed them inside. A few swings later I was in their living room and thick smoke had filled the upper half of the rooms. Keeping low and wearing my respirator I checked both bedrooms and the kitchen at which point my eyes were burning beyond belief and the air I was breathing while smoke-free was also becoming more and more oxygen-free, so I had to get out of there. As soon as I got out front, the guy who lives there Dustin was running up with his dog (this all went down while out for a walk), at which point I did what all semi-brave/stupid (depends on who you asked afterward) do... began coughing like crazy and threw up in his front yard. Dustin said that none of his room-mates were in the house, and the fire was so out of control only the Fire Department was going to stop it. Speaking of which... did I mention they hadn't arrived yet? When I exited the house, it was roughly 15 minutes AFTER the initial 9-1-1 call was made... and NOTHING! It took an additional 9 minutes of watching the neighbors home burn before they finally bothered to show up, and they did IN FORCE. Pumper trucks from THREE different ladder companies pulled up front and back, and about 15 guys total went to work running hoses, cutting holes in the roof with fire axes, and all the stuff you normally see when the pro's show up. They knocked it down in about 5 minutes, at which time my feeling of relief that nobody was inside and that my home was no longer in danger, turned to bloody rage after hearing one of them comment about how the "stupid neighbor" had gone into the house before they had got there. I don't recall much of the profanity laced scene that ensued, nor will I confirm or deny assaulting (shoving multiple times) that fireman, but the bulk of what I said had to do with him being a worthless pampered union ****, parasite on the taxpayer, and how if anyone was in the house they'd be long-dead since it took them an astonishing 24 minutes to get there on a week-day where there was ZERO traffic. And get this... two of the fire station's are located less than 4 miles away. It's been 11 hours since the fire and the smell of smoke still lingers in every room in my house, and I doubt it will be going away anytime soon. And thank God that nobody was in that burning house today. There was just no way that I was going to stand idly by, waiting for the Fire Department while a home burned, knowing that someone might have been in there. Some may think what I did was heroic, at least one a$$hat thought otherwise... but I didn't break that door down trying to be some hero. I did it because I couldn't bear the thought of the unknown and the guilt i'd feel if someone was in that house and ended up dying when I could have done something about it. Man i'm tired, hungry too. I never did get around to having lunch. ...the aftermath.
You did the right thing, that's what matters. Who cares what that airhead said, *pros* can be jealous when someone does their job and they haven't even arrived on the scene yet.
Agreed with yasomaka. There is always an unhappy ungrateful bastard. Well done for what you did, at least you tried to help rather than sit and do nothing.
I think most level headed people would prefer to injure themselves in a house fire trying to rescue someone, than stand back and watch them die then live with the guilt, I know I would / have put myself in danger under not quite as bad but similar circumstances at work when a calor gas fire set fire to a huge stack of glue and paper You don't really understand when they say the smoke will take you out very quickly until you have experienced it yourself, I was only in the room with the fire for about 30 seconds and almost didn't make it out
I bet it would of been a different story if you had gone into the house and actually saved someone, people would of praised you for your heroics. Or if you had done nothing and watched it burn people would of said your a coward. Instead you did the right thing, you at least had that respirator to aid you.
It wasn't a stupid thing to do, especially considering you had a respirator. Had you not had one then perhaps it would have been reckless. The fireman is clearly a pathetic human being, like you said had there been people inside they would have already died due to the slow response. 24 minutes must feel like a hell of a long time in a situation like that.
Fire department named Flint? It's good to keep a fire extinguisher in the garage and kitchen for times like these. We have two. Good job on the rescue attempt. I would do the same if it was right next door, since we're friends with the surrounding houses.
Very well done. Hands down heroic in my book. Wonder if they still would have been ungrateful had you pulled a human out of there?
Speaking as someone that has been in a house fire first hand, and has the scars to prove it -- I appreciate what you did more than you could possibly know. I would never, ever sit idle if I thought someone was in trouble in that respect. Prior to what happened to me, that might sound like bravado, but I assure you that since I'd never leave anyone to suffer that hell. Screw the Fireman if what you say is true, you're a hero. You risked your own life for sure, but you did it while thinking about your actions. The time it took them to get there could have seen a house full of dead people.
