Two pulled out of burning house, in the nick of time
Although it was extinguished by the quick work of the Cadott Fire Department, with mutual aid from the Boyd-Edson-Delmar, Cornell and Chippewa fire departments, a home in Cadott was a complete loss, but the two occupants were pulled to safety by a responding police officer and two firefi ghters. The garage and car in the driveway were also lost, while there was some damage to a neighboring home. Photo by Kelly Falkenberg
By Ginna Young
Tragedy struck, the evening of April 9, when a family was trapped in their Cadott home, after the garage was fully engulfed in flames, then spread to the house, blocking exit from the front door. The night could have gone much different, if not for the efforts of Officer Tony Helstern, who was first on the scene for the Cadott Police Department, then two Cadott firefighters.
When Helstern arrived, he determined that two individuals were unable to get out of the house, so he helped one climb out a bedroom window. He attempted to do the same with the second person, but they needed a little more help, which is where the fire department came in. Firefighters Jeremy Kenealy and Mike Seeley were able to provide the help needed to extract the second occupant safely.
“It was definitely a joint effort,” said Halstern. Originally, the two who were rescued believed there was a third person in the home, but it was later discovered there was not. The efforts then changed from search and rescue, to fire suppression, but despite the quick work of the firefighters, the home, garage and car in the driveway, were a complete loss.
There was also damage to the neighboring house, from the heat. Although they did need some medical attention, those in the home are alive and recovering.
“All things considered, they’re doing OK,” said Halstern. While some businesses in Cadott, have special promotions to raise money for the family or are collecting donations, there’s not a certain fund set up to help yet. However, Halstern has heard that there will be a benefit for the family later this summer, so people can watch on how to donate toward that.
The incident, while horrifying, serves as a reminder to have good smoke detectors, in working order, on every level of the house.
“There was a lot of smoke in the house,” said Halstern. A family also needs to have plans in place to get out of a house, if it’s on fire or there’s smoke, especially if someone needs special attention. Just because a door is out of the question to evacuate, doesn’t mean it’s hopeless and by having a back-up plan, can make all the difference.
Halstern also advises against sleeping with bedroom doors open, as that can be the determining factor of a few more minutes to escape, which is what happened with the recent house fire.
“Really a lot of the fire safety prevention tips that are taught, were factors in this case,” said Halstern.
