Off-Duty Fireman Concerned By Elderly Neighbor’s Kitchen Blinds Follows Gut Instinct To Burst In

Apr 06, 2019 by apost team

A firefighter in Virginia is being hailed as a hero after going above and beyond the call of duty to save his elderly neighbor, reported by WTVR.

Chris Lawrence has served for years on the Petersburg Fire Department and has seen the value of strong community spirit. Chris goes out of his way to help his neighbors, particularly a 95-year old man who lives next door.

On one evening earlier this month, Chris walked his elderly neighbor home, helping him to bed.

Returning to his own home, Chris promised that he would stop by in another half an hour to make sure that his neighbor didn’t need anything else.

The thirty minutes came and went and Chris began walking back to his neighbor’s house. As Chris came into his neighbor’s yard, he noticed something peculiar: the plastic blinds on his neighbor’s kitchen window were askew.

Looking closer, Chris noticed a flickering orange light emanating from the kitchen. As a seasoned firefighter, Chris knew immediately that the house was on fire.

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With a start, Chris went into action. Knocking down the front door, Chris was met with a wave of smoke and intense heat. Finding his neighbor, he carried him out of the home as it was engulfed in flames.

Gently placing his neighbor on the lawn, Chris saw that the elderly man had several severe burns all over his body. Calling rescuers, Chris stayed with his neighbor until paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital. Emergency personnel also had Chris go to the hospital as well to make sure that he was not injured during the rescue.

News of Chris’s heroism spread throughout Prince George County, with the story being picked up by national news outlets. Recounting the incident to WTVR, Chris was asked what he thought about entering the burning home without any of his usual firefighting equipment.

"It never crossed my mind not to go in, maybe it should of, but it didn't.", Chris answered WTVR.

Chris further noted that part of his training reminded him to stay as low as possible when moving through the burning home.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Chris’s neighbor is expected to recover from the injuries he sustained during the blaze. Chris regularly checks in with the hospital and is happy to report that his neighbor’s condition has been upgraded to stable.

What do you think of Chris rushing into the burning home to save his neighbor? Let us know in the comments and pass this along to your friends and family to celebrate Chris' brave move!