Pennington Gap firefighter rescued man in blaze
WJLA, with permission
PENNINGTON GAP, Va. (WCYB) – A firefighter is being hailed as a hero in the Pennington Gap, Virginia, community.
He made a daring rescue from the third floor of an apartment complex as fire ravaged the building last Friday. Bystanders shared pictures of the heroic rescue.
The pictures show Pennington Gap firefighter Joseph Stapleton carrying a man who had been trapped by flames on the third story of his apartment building.
“A life was on the line. That was all that was going through my head. I’ve got to get this person out of this building before he dies,” Stapleton said.
In his six years as a volunteer with fire department, this was Stapleton’s first experience carrying someone to safety. The fire was dispatched just before 8:30 a.m. on November 1 at the Old Mills Apartment.
“At that time, training kicked in I guess you could say,” Stapleton said.
The man’s life was saved. He only suffered minor injuries.
“That pretty much changed our whole mindset from firefighting to rescue mode,” Fire chief Brian Skidmore said.
The Red Cross is assisting four families who made it out safely. The fire left major damage.
“You take it for granted because you don’t have that many big fires in a small area like this,” Skidmore said. “When you do, it’s good to know they were well trained and ready to go.”
Volunteers from this fire hall respond to about 150 fires each year. This incident shows one call can make all the difference.
“I don’t consider myself a hero. I’m just doing what I love,” Stapleton said.
Fire officials suspect the fire started around a heater in one apartment.
They warn that space heaters should be checked and kept several feet from furniture or other flammable items.
