Dallas Fire-Rescue honored a firefighting team for a daring rescue that saved a woman’s life in February.
Lieutenant Daniel Civello, Fire Rescue Officer Christopher Hurst, and Fire Rescue Officer Andres Udria received individual Fireground Excellence awards for their actions on February 10 at 3163 Modella Avenue. Members of Engine 30, Truck 43, Engine 35, Rescue 30, and Rescue 41 earned the Outstanding Unit Citation.
Engine 30 arrived to find heavy fire on the Alpha side of the one-story home with reports of a life hazard inside. The crew switched to rescue mode and performed a Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search operation through a Delta-side window. As flames intensified and began lapping at their only exit, Civello and Hurst located the trapped occupant and moved her to the window.
Udria held the exit point, knocking down advancing fire to keep the path open before safely pulling the victim out. Supporting units handled fire attack, ventilation, and additional search efforts. The woman was handed over to medical personnel.
The recognition came as firefighters battled a different blaze early Tuesday in the 100 block of West Saner Avenue in East Oak Cliff. Crews responded around 3:14 a.m. to heavy flames coming from the back of a one-story residence.
While fighting the fire, they pulled an unresponsive, unidentified man from inside. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.
A firefighter suffered a minor upper-body injury during the operation and was transported to a hospital in stable condition. Hoarding conditions inside the home slowed efforts to extinguish the blaze, which took crews more than an hour to bring under control.
The victim’s identity has not been released. The cause of Tuesday’s fire remains under investigation.
