Oregon Firefighters Recall Rescuing Man From Blaze

On Nov. 29, just before 7 p.m., Keith Moore had three minutes to live.

He was trapped in his burning home -- fire blocking the front of the structure, security bars over windows blocking his escape at the back.

"These heroes literally saved my life," Moore said Tuesday at a Gresham City Council meeting, gesturing to the Gresham Fire Department crew behind him. "I'll never be able to repay them for the rest of my life."

Battalion Chief Mark Maunder, Battalion Chief Jason McGowan, Capt. Rick Sieverson, Lt. Travis Soles, Mike Galvin, Peter Graves, Grant Kimble and Reggy Becker, eight of the firefighters who responded to the incident, stood stone-faced behind him.

Maunder described how the "quick thinking of these highly trained, dedicated professionals" saved Moore after dispatch received a report of a housefire in the 1900 block of Southeast Palmquist Road at 6:41 p.m. that Thursday evening.

McGowan, a battalion chief, lives near the address and heard the call. Five engines were just clearing an apartment fire, so he went to the address to report back about the situation.

He found heavy fire showing from the residence -- 75 percent of the structure engulfed -- and a man trapped behind security bars secured over the windows.

McGowan couldn't get him out.

"He reassured the trapped occupant we were going to get him out," Maunder said.

Engine 31 arrived at the scene. Firefighters aimed a hose at the fire in the front part of the home.

"The goal was to keep the fire from getting to the resident in the back room," Maunder said.

Truck 71, equipped with the tools necessary to cut bars off the window, arrived shortly thereafter and immediately went after bars that trapped Moore.

Moore was choking on the superheated gasses and smoke that filled the room, which was at risk of igniting any moment.

A firefighter removed his breathing mask and put it to Moore's face as he pushed it against the bars searching for air.

"That was heads up thinking to give him some air," Maunder said. "He knew the individual needed to breathe fresh air to live."

Meanwhile, sparks flew around Moore's and firefighters' faces as they cut the bars off the windows.

When the bars came loose, they pulled Moore head first through the window and rushed him to the Engine 75, where Moore was checked for smoke inhalation and burns. He was later transported to a hospital.

Engine 76 continued to pry bars off the residence in case firefighters inside needed to get out.

Firefighters with Truck 71 cut the roof to release hot air. Firefighters with Engine 72 and Engine 31 stretched their hoses by hand 400 feet across the tight parking lot in the manufactured home development.

Inside, firefighters continued to battle the fire. The blaze ate through the structure, causing some firefighters to fall through the burned-out floor.

All told, seven teams responded, including off-duty officers.

"They worked together and they did everything to save my life," Moore said. "They informed me I had only three minutes to live. If they hadn't shown up when they did," he trailed off. "Three minutes seems like an eternity."

Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service