New York Firefighters Reflect on Deadly House Fire
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--Firefighters say if they had to rank how dangerous Tuesday night's fire was, it would be right at the top, but they say none of that matters when they're trying to rescue trapped people.
Tuesday night, firefighters say their first priority was not to get the fire out, but to get the people out. But before they could get to the three children still trapped inside this house, they were forced to get out.
"The heat conditions went from 300 to 400 degrees right up to maybe 2,000 (degrees). It got so hot a couple of the guys I was with burnt themselves," said Lt. Willie Jackson, with the Rochester Fire Department.
It's a split second decision that made for some dramatic moments as firefighters rushed out. They say the thick smoke was blinding and the fire was rushing up the stairs and down the hallway toward them. "You're trying to decide, 'Do I stay here and battle this a little longer or do I get out and save my life?' And actually it comes down to whether you want to live or die," said Lt. Jackson.
Firefighters say they hate to abandon their search for survivors, and it was made even worse when, in the end, they found out three children died in Tuesday night's fire.
"We go back and go over it a 1,000 times in our mind to try and come up with a solution. Is there something we could have done a little bit more?" wondered Lt. Jackson.
Despite some scary moments of their own and the tragic outcome of the fire, they say they did the best they could. "The experience makes you a better firefighter, but the next time I go and I hear people trapped I’m going to do the same thing, I'm going to make the same decisions and get to the victims as best as I can and try to save lives. That's what we do, we save lives," said Lt. Jackson.
Lt. Jackson says bailing out of a house without saving everyone is a decision they struggle with in the hours and days that follow a fire like they had here.
Republished with permission of WHEC-TV.
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