Fire Department credits Tacoma man for evacuating burning building and saving lives
A Tacoma man did more than just call 911 when he arrived home to find his apartment building on fire. He helped evacuate residents.
The Tacoma Fire Department on Wednesday publicly credited Jeff Christopher Dunn for his actions during the Oct. 14 fire.
The blaze heavily damaged the three-story, 12-unit building at the Spanish Hills apartment complex and displaced 17 tenants, according to a press release from the department.
When Dunn arrived home early that morning he found one of the buildings in the South 12th and Mildred streets complex on fire. He immediately called 911 and then headed to the top floor where the fire was blazing.
Still connected to dispatchers, Dunn was heard calling out to residents.
“Hey, anyone in here?,” he yelled out, according to 911 recordings. “There’s a fire outside. Come on now. Where you at? Come on. We got to get you out.”
After getting one resident to safety, Dunn started pounding on apartment doors. The 911 dispatcher helped him find and pull a fire alarm, activating a siren. Because the fire was burning in an attic space, smoke alarms had not activated.
“The fire had extended into the building’s attic,” Fire Chief James Duggan said in the release about Dunn’s actions. “The resident of that apartment was in bed, immediately beneath burning roof trusses. Her life was at risk. Mr. Dunn went into the unit and alerted her. He guided her out of harm’s way.”
Firefighters found heavy smoke and flames when they arrived. It took 34 firefighters from nine fire stations to get the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading.
No injuries were reported and damage was estimated at $370,000.
This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 2:01 PM.
