Firefighters rescued an elderly man from his burning Midwood apartment Wednesday evening after he became trapped behind his door, fire officials said.
Fire officials credited members of Ladder 156, backed by Engine 276, with saving the senior who couldn’t open the door to exit his smoke-filled second-floor apartment at 1555 East 19th St.
The blaze broke out shortly before 7 pm on Aug. 12, neighbors calling the police when they smelled smoke coming from down the hall. A resident of the floor tried to open the heavy steel door when he heard the man screaming for help, but said he couldn’t open the door himself.
Upon arrival, firefighters from Ladder 156 immediately forced the steel door open.
“As soon as we opened the door, we could see his legs and we pulled him out,” said one firefighter from Ladder 156. “We dragged him down the hall and he was limp.”
Firefighters carried the still unconscious man to the street where he was given oxygen. At that point, the man — who has not yet been identified — began to regain consciousness. He was taken to Staten Island University Hospital where he was expected to survive.
The fire was quickly deemed all-hands-on-deck, with nearly 50 firefighters working to battle the blaze, according to acting Chief Captain Justin Zorbo.
Fire officials could not yet say what caused the fire, but Zorbo said it appeared to have started in the kitchen.
An investigation remains ongoing.
This story first appeared on AMNY.com.
