Firefighters rescue pregnant woman from blaze
Published: December 16, 2005
Firefighters saved the life of a pregnant woman trapped in her home by a massive fire in an adjoining apartment, Kingsport Fire Chief Craig Dye said Thursday.
Three others were also rescued from the blaze at Model City Apartments Thursday morning, but the second-floor rescue was a little more harrowing.
“The pregnant woman was trapped. She had no way out. She was hanging out the window with smoke billowing out,” Dye said.
He said by the time firefighters arrived from Station 4, about a mile away, the blaze had already spread to several apartments in Building K.
The unidentified pregnant woman couldn’t get out because of the smoke and heat.
“She couldn’t get through the stairwell. The heavy smoke and fire and heat was pushing her out,” Dye said.
The first firefighters on scene made the rescue their primary job.
“Our first job is the rescue, then extinguishment,” Dye said.
“We can do it in that order or together.”
The two-alarm blaze brought four engines and a ladder company to the scene, all which carry three firefighters each.
“We also did a partial call-in because of the weather, the size of the fire, and we needed extra manpower,” Dye said.
“Once (firefighters) get cold and wet and tired, we rotate others in to get them rehabbed.”
The Kingsport Lifesaving Crew and Sullivan County EMS also responded to the scene to assist with any medical problems.
Two people were transported to an area hospital for smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.
It was a kitchen grease fire that turned into the raging blaze around 11:45 a.m., according to Dye.
The fire grew so big it took firefighters nearly an hour to get it knocked down.
The American Red Cross also responded with food and drinks for rescuers and residents.
Amy Greear, community relations coordinator for Kingsport City Schools, said officials with the system prepared students who live in the Model City complex.
“As far as we know, we do not have a child who lives in that building, but we do have children who live in that complex,” Greear said. “Principals at the school with students affected talked to students before school ended about what had happened and that their homes were safe just to prepare them for what they were going to see when they went home.”
Initially school officials thought buses transporting children home to Model City Apartments might have to be rerouted, but Greear said that was not necessary.
Nonetheless, two school system staff were at the complex to make sure the children got home safely.
“It ended up working out that school children could be dropped off, but Director of Student Services Tyler Fleming and Director of Transportation Ken Barnes were there to make sure students got home safely,” she said.
Dye said rescues are a priority in firefighter training.
“We train all the time now. Life safety is our first mission. We save lives first and protect the property second,” he said.
“We try to do the best job anybody can do because people’s lives depend on us.”
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