Off-duty firefighter rescues elderly woman from house fire

SPOKANE, Wash. — An off-duty firefighter rescued an elderly woman from a house fire before first responders arrived.

Spokane Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire near Lacey and 11th on Sunday. Callers said two people might still be trapped inside.

An off-duty firefighter happened to be in the area and saw the fire on their PulsePoint app, and went there. They then saw an elderly woman trapped inside, so they kicked the door in and got her outside to safety.

The woman was treated by responding firefighters and transported to the hospital. Fire crews quickly put out the flames and found no one else inside.

This incident had a fortunate ending, but fire officials want to stress that it was due to working smoke alarms that most people were able to get out at the first sign of danger. The Fire Department says working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 50%.

Officials urge homeowners to have smoke alarms in every room of the house, including the basement, and to test the alarms every month.

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