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I just came across this incredible story from the Chicago Tribune website. It really highlights the bravery and quick thinking of these firefighters. Marcus McGee, a 30-year-old who graduated from North Chicago High School back in 2004, has been working with the Richmond Fire Department in Virginia for around three years now. On December 17th, McGee was part of a team of four firefighters who were the first to arrive at the scene of a terrifying apartment fire where an 11-month-old girl was trapped inside. That’s according to Richmond Fire Department Chief Patrick Schoeffel.
When they got the call, McGee and his fellow firefighters reached the scene in just 33 seconds. But thick, black smoke made it impossible to see anything, forcing them to stop their engine almost 100 feet away from the burning building. As Firefighter Korey Pettiford secured the hydrant, McGee, acting as the temporary lieutenant that day, led two others straight toward the flames.
In what felt like no time at all, they managed to rescue the baby in just one minute and 49 seconds. The building had four apartments, and neighbors had mentioned that a baby was still inside, though they couldn’t pinpoint which apartment. The smoke was so dense that it made it nearly impossible to see anything.
The firefighters eventually found the fire's origin in the second-floor apartment, specifically in a bedroom to the right. That’s when they heard faint cries coming from another room nearby. Just as they were navigating the smoke-filled hallway, a flashover happened—a sudden, intense burst of flames that filled the entire space with fire.
Amidst the chaos, McGee and another firefighter, Parker Ramsey, worked to control the blaze while a five-year veteran named Carlos Samuels located the baby. Samuels quickly wrapped the infant in whatever he could find nearby to protect her and rushed her down the stairs to safety. All of this unfolded in under two minutes, according to Chief Schoeffel.
Remarkably, despite the severe conditions, the baby wasn’t physically harmed, though she was treated for smoke inhalation and released from the hospital the next day. “This kid probably had a minute or less to live,†Schoeffel commented. “She’s probably 10 feet away from (the flashover) and didn’t get burned.â€
Even more astonishingly, the extreme heat from the flashover destroyed much of the firefighters' equipment. “Everything was ruined except for their boots,†Schoeffel added. “Their gear was so badly damaged by the heat that it couldn’t be used again.â€
On top of that, the intense heat also burned their ears, leaving lasting marks on their skin. It’s a testament to how close they were to the fire and how quickly they acted.
It’s stories like this that remind us just how crucial firefighters are in our communities. Their courage and dedication never cease to amaze me. Thanks for sharing this, Dan!
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