Cal Fire Firefighters Pull Woman From Burning Home

GRIDLEY — Cal Fire-Gridley firefighters pulled a barely conscious woman from a burning house in Gridley Wednesday morning.

The fire started about 11:40 a.m. at 1855 Indiana St., said Joshpae White, of Cal Fire-Butte County.

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Cal Fire crews were checking fire hydrants in the area when they saw smoke coming from the two-story house, he said.

At the front door, firefighters also saw flames shooting out a window upstairs. A neighbor said people might be inside, so they broke down the door, and saw flames coming from upstairs and smoke filling the downstairs, said Capt. Rob Sonsteng.

While three firefighters worked with chainsaws to ventilate the house, Sonsteng and engineer Jason Dyer entered the house, with breathing apparatus, to search.

Dyer said they saw two cars in the garage, which also led them to believe more than one person might be inside the house.

They found a woman lying on the kitchen floor downstairs who was barely conscious, Sonsteng said. The woman appeared to be suffering from smoke inhalation, he said.

They took the woman outside where an ambulance took her to Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital for unknown injuries, White said.

Firefighters searched for more people inside the house, but didn’t find anyone.

Cal Fire didn’t know the woman’s name or who lived in the house, White said, but circumstances and a quick response led to the rescue and kept the fire damage minimal.

“It felt good,” Sonsteng said later about the rescue.

Story by Oroville Mercury Register