Claudia Jimenez, a mother from Phoenix, awoke Thursday morning to find flames raging through her flat.
She and her two small girls were trapped, with the front door blocked by the blaze, and all she could do was phone for aid.
“I opened my window and started yelling, ‘Please, someone help me, there’s a fire, I can’t get out through the front, I need someone to help me’,”
Claudia
told CBS News.
Even before the firefighters arrived, assistance came from an unexpected source.
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Homeless man comes to the rescue of family stuck in apartment fire
CBS News
Joe Hollins and his wife were camped out near Claudia’s flat when they heard the screams and ran to the family’s aid.
“All I see is a lady pulling open the window, screaming, ‘Please help me, please help me’,” Hollins explained.
Claudia
said Hollis slipped under the window and instructed her to bring her two children to him.
“He was right underneath and he was like, ‘Yes, throw your daughters out, I’m going to catch them, I’m going to get them’.”
Valerie, 1, was the first to go. Natalie, 8, was up next.
Claudia
then threw out the family’s two pets. Hollis successfully captured all of them, but when it was her turn,
Claudia
froze.
“At first, she didn’t want to come. She was afraid she was going to fall,” Hollins explained.
“I was like, ‘I’ve got you. Don’t be concerned.'”
Claudia
finally made the leap and landed safely in the arms of Hollins. The fire brigade responded quickly to put out the fires, and after everything settled down, the appreciative family claimed Hollins saved their lives.
“I’ll be eternally grateful to him, you know? Like I said, he was an angel to me,” Claudia said.
CBS News
“Because of him, we’re here, alive, and my daughters are safe.”
Hollins, on the other hand, refused to listen to the compliments, claiming that anyone would do the same.
“Those are children,” he pointed out.
While
Claudia
and her family are safe, they, like many other inhabitants of the building, have lost everything. Members of the community are currently donating funds to assist the survivors.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
What to do if there’s a fire in your building?
If there’s a fire in your building, it’s crucial to take immediate action to ensure your safety and the safety of others. Here’s what you should do. If you discover the fire, immediately notify others by activating the fire alarm system or shouting to alert people in the vicinity.
This will help ensure that everyone in the building is aware of the emergency.
Leave the building as quickly and calmly as possible. Follow the designated evacuation routes and do not use elevators. If there is smoke, stay low to the ground where the air is less toxic.
Once you’re safely outside, call the emergency services hotline (e.g., 911) to report the fire. Provide them with accurate information about the location, size, and any other relevant details about the fire.
Under no circumstances should you re-enter the building until the fire authorities have given you permission to do so. Fires can spread rapidly, and entering the building can put you at great risk.
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