Firefighters and Vietnam Veteran Rush to Save People Trapped by Fire

Huntsville firefighters, Vietnam veteran rescue residents trapped in apartment fire
Al.com
By Jonathan Grass
September 26, 2014

Huntsville firefighters rescued two people from an upstairs unit when a fire broke out at Redbrick Square Apartments on Friday. Some residents fled the building by jumping from the upstairs windows.
(Jonathan Grass/jgrass@al.com)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A fire in a north Huntsville apartment complex left residents fleeing the building anyway they could, even if that meant through the second story windows. When two of those residents didn't get out, firefighters went in and pulled them to safety.

Fire crews arrived at Redbrick Square Apartments at 2216 North Memorial Parkway at about 6 p.m. to find heavy smoke coming from a downstairs unit. That smoke traveled the halls throughout the building. Huntsville Fire and Rescue spokesman Capt. Frank McKenzie said everyone had gotten out at that point except two women in the unit directly above the one on fire.

A neighbor in the complex came to the rescue of another woman trying to escape to the ground below. Billy Smith said he smelled the smoke and followed it to the building where his friend lived. He saw his friend had already made it out safe but a woman was trying to get down to the ground. The Vietnam veteran said he grabbed her legs and helped her down.
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