A Yonkers fire lieutenant crawled past heavy fire to rescue a woman trapped in the back bedroom of a flame-engulfed apartment on Christmas morning, according to the local department and union.
The Yonkers Uniformed Fire Officers Association said Lt. Danny Nee, a six-year members of the Yonkers Fire Department and an Iraq War veteran, responded to the eight-story apartment building on Bronx River Road after getting a call about smoke coming from a third-floor apartment around 10 a.m.
As they were en route, a woman called 911 in a panic, saying she was trapped in the bedroom, according to the union. The woman told the 911 operator heavy fire in the living room was blocking her way out and her bedroom had filled with smoke.
Nee and the other firefighters arrived minutes after being dispatched to the scene, and as crew members worked to stretch a hose to the burning apartment, Nee crawled into the burning building and made his way to the back bedroom.
Amid heavy smoke, he shared his air mask with the woman and brought her to safety, the union said. The fire was put out a short time later.
Both Nee and the woman were taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Nee also got a cut on his hand, but both he and the woman are expected to be OK.
The woman's apartment suffered heavy fire damage; authorities said the blaze started near the sofa and spread to a Christmas tree. Other apartments in the building had smoke and water damage. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but authorities said it appears accidental.
