FDNY Crew Rescues Man From Burning Home

Firefighter Christopher Pillarella of Ladder 83 went ahead of the hoseline and searched through the smoke and found the man lying unconscious in a hallway.
Dec. 5, 2011
FDNY firefighters rushed into a burning home to rescue an unconscious man early Sunday morning, according to The Staten Island Advance.

Crews responded to the fire at the one-story home at 261 Utter Avenue in Castleton Corners around 1:30 a.m.

Firefighters entered the structure after receiving reports of a person trapped and were met by intense flames in the living room.

Firefighter Christopher Pillarella of Ladder 83 went ahead of the hoseline and searched through the smoke for the resident, according to the newspaper.

Pillarella found the man lying unconscious in a hallway with burns on his hands and face.

He grabbed the man's arms while another firefighter took him by the legs and they carried him to safety.

"This is what we train for. Everyone else would have done the same thing," Pillarella told the newspaper. "Once I found him, it was a team effort getting him out."

The man was transported to Staten Island University Hospital and was listed in stable condition.

About the Author

Billy Goldfeder

BILLY GOLDFEDER, EFO, who is a Firehouse contributing editor, has been a firefighter since 1973 and a chief officer since 1982. He is deputy fire chief of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in Ohio, which is an ISO Class 1, CPSE and CAAS-accredited department. Goldfeder has served on numerous NFPA and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) committees. He is on the board of directors of the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!