Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
Marcus McGee, a 30-year-old firefighter with the Richmond Fire Department in Virginia, has been serving for about three years. A 2004 graduate of North Chicago High School, he was among the first responders on December 17 when an apartment fire broke out, trapping an 11-month-old girl inside. According to Richmond Fire Department Chief Patrick Schoeffel, McGee and three other firefighters arrived at the scene just 33 seconds after receiving the call.
However, thick black smoke made visibility nearly impossible, forcing the engine to stop 100 feet away from the building. As firefighter Korey Pettiford secured the hydrant, McGee—acting as lieutenant that day—along with two other crew members ran toward the fire. In just one minute and 49 seconds, they managed to rescue the baby from the burning building.
The building had four apartments, but neighbors couldn’t determine which unit the child was in due to the intense smoke. After searching the third apartment on the second floor, the team found the fire’s origin in a bedroom on the right side and heard a baby crying from another room nearby.
As they moved through the smoke-filled hallway, a flashover occurred—an explosion of flames that can be deadly in seconds. The firefighters were unsure if they’d make it out alive. McGee and firefighter Parker Ramsey, who has been with the department for a year, worked to control the fire, while 5-year veteran Carlos Samuels located the baby.
With the hallway engulfed in flames, Samuels covered the child and rushed down the stairs. All of this happened in under two minutes, according to the chief. Although the baby appeared burned from soot, she was not physically injured. She was treated for smoke inhalation and released the next day.
“This kid probably had less than a minute to live,†Schoeffel said. “She was only about 10 feet away from the flashover and didn’t get burned.â€
Meanwhile, the extreme heat from the flashover melted the firefighters’ gear and caused burns to their ears. “Everything was ruined except for their boots,†the chief added. “Their gear was damaged beyond repair, with holes burned through it. It can’t be used anymore.â€
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