Deputies Rush into Burning Home to Rescue Elderly Couple

SAN GABRIEL, CA -- An elderly San Gabriel Valley couple is alive today thanks to two Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies who ran into a burning house to save them.

Deputies Jacqueline Morales and Orlando Macias were on routine patrol in the the 8800 block of East Broadway in San Gabriel when they saw black smoke billowing from a home.

"The deputies quickly stopped their vehicles and entered the residence to make sure there weren't any people stuck inside," said Lt. Frank Ruiz of the Temple Sheriff's Station. "Due to the thick smoke, the deputies had to crawl through the house on their hands and knees. While crawling through the house the deputies discovered a disoriented elderly couple inside the residence."

Morales and Macias carried the couple outside to safety. All four required medical treatment for smoke inhalation. The elderly couple, an 89 years-old woman and an 87 years-old man, were also hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and San Gabriel City Fire extinguished a grease fire located in the kitchen of the residence.

“The quick actions of Deputy Morales and Deputy Macias, while placing themselves in harms way, undoubtedly saved the lives of this couple,” Ruiz said in a written statement. “The deputies’ heroism is a reflection of their dedication to the communities served by Temple Station, and the representation of the core values of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to the highest degree.”

Photos: Los Angeles Sheriff's Department