A group of cleaning ladies helped save a woman from a deadly inferno that erupted at a California condo complex Thursday, ABC7 reported.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OFCA) said the blaze, which left one person dead, was reported around 9:30 am, according to ABC7. Just before firefighters arrived, a woman who had been trapped in a bedroom had been rescued, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Video Shows Good Samaritans Make Dramatic Rescue Of Man From Burning Truck)
Good Samaritan neighbor smashes window to help rescue woman from deadly Cypress condo fire https://t.co/0GcxiiOPil
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) January 12, 2024
“The front door area was totally engulfed with fire, and there was no way to escape that way,” OFCA Captain Thanh Nguyen said.
Good Samaritans, including a neighbor, risked their lives to rescue a trapped woman who was screaming for help, ABC7 reported.
One neighbor, Phil Johnson, described the scene as he raced downstairs to his neighbor’s home which was engulfed in flames, according to ABC7. An elderly man named Jerry, and his stepdaughter, Lori, were trapped inside, the outlet reported.
“I opened the door to see if maybe I could get him out of there, but a big black pillar of smoke came out,” Johnson said. “I remembered that there was a fire extinguisher right down there, so I went down and got it, broke the glass, cut my finger, deployed the fire extinguisher, and it didn’t even touch the fire.”
Johnson said that it was impossible to save Jerry, but Lori could be heard screaming for help from a bedroom, ABC7 reported.
“About four cleaning ladies come from this way and they’re like, ‘Oh my God. We gotta do something.’ So I was still trying to figure out a way to help Jerry, they came over here with their brooms and broke the window and got her out,” Johnson said. “In my opinion, it was the cleaning crew ladies that saved her life.”
Lori was transported to the hospital, but the extent of her injuries is unknown, according to ABC7. The blaze took Jerry’s life, however, the outlet reported.
“I’m so thankful that our neighbors are paying attention, and now I’m going to be more watchful, too, especially if we have elderly people living around here,” another neighbor, Veronica Traurig, said.
Witnesses said the good samaritan cleaning ladies left the scene after rescuing the woman, ABC7 reported.