A man who became stuck in a bathroom wall while the dinner he was cooking caught fire in the kitchen was rescued Tuesday night by firefighters.
Keizer fire officials said the man heard his smoke alarm sounding just before 7 p.m. He opened the bathroom door to investigate and found heavy smoke and flames, firefighters said, and he quickly shut the door to prevent further smoke from entering the bathroom.
The homeowner called 911 and began kicking his way through the drywall into another room, fire officials said. When he tried to exit through the hole in the wall, he became stuck on the drywall and studs, according to Anne-Marie Penge, a Keizer Fire District spokeswoman.
By the time firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke, but no flames inside the home, Penge said.
Firefighter Greg Biben then found the man stuck in the wall. Biben joined the homeowner in the bathroom and shut the door to prevent the man from breathing more smoke, Penge said. He then pulled off more drywall and pushed the homeowner through the wall to safety, according to fire officials.
Meanwhile, a second firefighter extinguished the fire in the kitchen.
The fire victim was taken to Salem Hospital in stable condition. The kitchen fire caused about $30,000 in damage.
In addition to helping the homeowner, firefighters also rescued the family's pet ferret and rat. The family's four dogs weren't injured because they were in the backyard at the time of the fire.
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