WILLMAR, Minn. -- The fast actions of a Willmar firefighter are being credited for getting a woman safely out of a burning home late Tuesday night.
Willmar Fire Chief Marv Calvin said the unidentified woman "could've easily succumbed to the fire" if Craig Baker, a lieutenant with the Willmar Fire Department, hadn't arrived on the scene when he did.
"His actions saved a life last night," said Calvin in an interview Wednesday morning.
Baker, un-comfortable being in the public spotlight for his actions, said he was just doing his job and that the response to the fire was a team effort by the entire department.
"I just did what I was supposed to. It's nothing more than that," Baker said.
The fire was reported around 9 p.m. Tuesday at 501 25th St. S.E. in Willmar.
Baker was at home, just two blocks away, when he heard the pager go off and the fire call for a structure fire with a possible victim at an address that was close to his home.
Under the current Fire Department policy, chief officers who live closest report directly to the scene of a fire rather than going to the fire station first. That policy does not pertain to lieutenant officers like Baker, but after radioing the chief and getting his "blessing," Baker roared down the street in his truck.
"I threw some shoes on and I was out the door," said Baker who arrived at the house about a minute later and saw smoke pouring out of the garage and house.
Dressed in jeans, work shoes and a sweatshirt, Baker quickly sized up the situation and began looking for the homeowner who had reported the fire to 911.
When he didn't see anyone, Baker said he pounded on the front door and shouted that he was a firefighter.
He said he could hear the garbled voice of a woman, who eventually came to the door.
"I said, 'ma'am, your house is on fire. You need to get out.' She said 'OK' and then she shut the door," said Baker, who speculated that the woman may have been in shock and not cognizant of the fire "even though it was burning right in front of her" and was "going to get bad in a hurry."
With the fire quickly expanding, Baker opened the door and took a half-dozen steps inside.
"The wall was burning pretty good right where we were at," said Baker who got the woman out of the house before she could retreat further into the smoke-filled structure.
"He went in after her," Calvin said. "He grabbed her and pulled her out."
The woman was then placed in the care of a Willmar police officer who had arrived on the scene, said Baker, who was assured by the woman that there were no other people or pets in the home.
By the time fire crews arrived six minutes later, the fire and smoke had "progressed rather extensively" into the home, said Calvin, adding that it "definitely could've been a different scenario" for the woman if Baker hadn't been there to get her to safety when he did.
Calvin said the Willmar firefighters "train their entire career for something like this" and that Baker's fast action is an example of a dedicated firefighter serving his community. Calvin said his crew of firefighters "train for the worst" situation and "expect the best" outcome while never "patting themselves on the back."
Baker said his 22 years of experience as a firefighter, including five years with the Willmar crew, helped him react to the unusual situation Tuesday. He reiterated that the teamwork of the crew -- and the fact that there were working smoke detectors in the house -- were important factors in a successful response that allowed "everyone to go home"
An investigation revealed the fire started accidently in the attached garage when a burning Swisher Sweet Cigarillo was "carelessly" disposed of on a storage shelf, Calvin said.
The fire moved quickly into the interior of the home which suffered heat, smoke and water damage. Calvin described the damage as extensive.
McClatchy-Tribune
