Neighbor Rescues Woman Trapped In House Fire: Stamford FD

STAMFORD, CT — Thanks to the quick actions of a neighbor and responding firefighters, a woman who was trapped in a house fire was rescued and fire damage was contained Tuesday morning on the West Side of Stamford, according to the Stamford Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

At 10:28 a.m., Stamford firefighters were dispatched to a report of a structure fire and a woman unable to evacuate on her own from a second-floor apartment in the 70 block of Roosevelt Avenue, Deputy Stamford Fire Chief Matthew Palmer said in a news release.

Firefighters from the West Side Fire Station arrived at the scene in less than two minutes and discovered the rear of the house on fire, Palmer said. Firefighters immediately began to extinguish the blaze and search for the woman.

But a next-door neighbor had just arrived home prior to the first firefighter units. The neighbor quickly ran to grab an extension ladder and placed it under the woman's window to allow her to climb down to safety, Palmer said.

The woman escaped the fire and did not need medical attention.

The SFD said the fire quickly spread up the rear of the house and the rear stairwell leading to the second-floor apartment, trapping the woman in the kitchen area.

"The immediate actions of firefighters from the West Side Fire Station and the valiant efforts of a quick-thinking neighbor combined to quickly contain fire damage at the residence and potentially save the life of an occupant trapped on the second floor. We are very grateful for all of their collective efforts," Palmer said.

The fire was placed under control within 20 minutes. Units remained on scene for an additional two hours to perform "overhaul and salvage duties," Palmer noted.

A total of 30 career fire personnel responded to the scene, with support provided by Stamford Emergency Medical Services, the SSFD Training Division, the SFD Mechanical Division, and the Stamford Police Department.

The Stamford Fire Marshal's Office and SPD are investigating the cause and origin of the fire.