SANTA ANA, CA — Quick action from neighbors and a UPS driver saved a 101-year-old woman from a kitchen fire Thursday afternoon in Orange County.
According to firefighters, when smoke was spotted pouring from the woman’s Santa Ana home, neighbors rushed to help and tried to help her exit safely.
“When she hesitated, they asked a nearby UPS driver for help,” an OCFA statement said. “He picked her up and carried her to safety.”
Simultaneously, the woman’s neighbors used fire extinguishers to knock down the kitchen fire. One neighbor, a roofer by trade, grabbed his ladder, climbed to the roof, and used a garden hose to spray water into the kitchen vent.
Firefighters arrived soon after and extinguished the remaining fire that had reached the attic. The woman, who was not identified, was taken to the hospital for evaluation, firefighters said. Her condition was not immediately known.
“A remarkable outcome made possible by quick action, teamwork, and people looking out for one another in a moment of need,” the statement said.