RAINIER, Ore. (KOIN) — An off-duty Columbia River Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief rescued a woman trapped in a burning house on Friday morning.
Fire crews were dispatched to 30610 Brownlee Rd. in Rainier around 9:15 a.m., responding to a reported house fire. According to the call, there was a fire in the downstairs bedroom that was filling the house with smoke. A woman with limited mobility, who also used an oxygen tank, was trapped on the main level and was unable to get out of the house.
Eric Smythe, the Deputy Chief with Columbia River Fire & Rescue, was off-duty at the time of the fire, but was listening to the call and sprang into action.
Smythe lived near the burning house and was the first to arrive at the scene. The woman inside the house stayed on the line with 911 dispatchers and was able to explain where she was in the building. Smythe found the woman gasping for air while hanging out the back window of the home, and was able to safely pull her out of the house and bring her to safety, ultimately saving her life.
The woman was observed by medics, who felt that a trip to the hospital was unnecessary. The cause of the fire is under investigation.