Resident rescued

LEABURG: On January 6th, at 4:57 p.m., McKenzie Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a house fire just west of Leaburg. Upon their arrival, personnel observed flames coming from the southwest corner of the residence.

Based on the alarm details crew members knew there was a high potential that the caller was still inside. The property had several down trees which completely blocked any driveway access, forcing firefighters to use the eastbound lane of Highway 126 for their initial attack.

The first crew on scene was able to locate the caller inside the residence, unconscious, and quickly devised a rescue plan. Additional arriving crews were assigned to assist with getting the patient out while others were assigned to cut a safe exit path to the waiting ambulance.

Once the patient care was transferred for transport to the hospital, crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

The incident created several obstacles that responding personnel were able to quickly adapt to and work through. In all, 12 trucks and over 20 personnel from the McKenzie’s 5 stations showed up to assist with the call.

Officials noted that, “This type of situation is yet another reminder, that during times when volunteer numbers continue to decline, McKenzie Fire & Rescue is extremely fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers and staff.”