Photos and story by Bob Bartosz
Except for exterior shot courtesy of Spring Hope (NC) Fire Department
Shortly before 4 a.m. on December 28, 2013, Nash County (NC) Fire Units from Spring Hope, Momeyer, and Stan Hope were dispatched to 109 North Side Drive in Spring Hope. According to Nash County Deputy Fire Marshal Chris Bissette, the next-door neighbor at 110 North Side Drive was awaken by a smoke alarm going off and his apartment was filling up with smoke. The neighbor called 911 to report the fire. and then went next door to try and alert the victim but was unsuccessful. He found the apartment full of smoke and a there was a glow from the kitchen area.
A Spring Hope police officer was now on location and was told by the neighbor that an adult male lived in the apartment where the fire was located. He knew this because his car was still parked in the driveway. The police officer was unable to enter the burning apartment due to heavy fire and smoke condition.
Spring Hope Fire Department’s first-due engine was now arriving along with Momeyer fire department. Heavy smoke and flames were now visible as flames were showing in the rear of the apartment building and heavy black smoke coming out the front. An 1 3/4-inch water line was quickly placed in service as firefighters made forced entry through the front door .
Firefighter Chris Chappel of Spring Hope and Captain Rance Manning of Momeyer along with Assistant Chief J.R. Manning of Momeyer and firefighter Tyler Hinton of Momeyer made entry into the heavy dense black smoke and fire
According to Spring Hope Fire Chief David Shelton, the apartment had a front bedroom and a bathroom separating the rear bedroom and a large living room and kitchen. Most of the rear of the interior was fully involved and flames were spreading up into the front of the apartment. Firefighters were able to make a quick knockdown of the flames and dark smoke. As they entered the front door, Firefighter Chris Chappel, a five-year veteran, found the front bedroom door closed. Chappel was able to get door open and crawled into the smoke-filled room and begin to searched for the occupant. He found a 48-year-old male who weighed more than 200 pounds laying on the floor near the front bedroom window. He was unable to lift the man by himself because of the victim’s weight and quickly alerted the other firefighters on the hoseline that he had a victim and needed help to remove him.
Captain Rance Manning, an 11-year veteran of the fire service, and Assistant Chief J.R. Manning, a 13-year veteran, went to assist him. As this was being done, Firefighter Tyler Hinton stayed on the hoseline attacking the fire, holding the flames back as the three fire fighters removed the severely burned victim from the burning apartment.
Two Nash County EMS Units were now arriving on location and were waiting on the front lawn when firefighters brought the victim out of the burning apartment. EMS transported the victim to Nash General Hospital and he was then flown to Chapel Hill Burn Center.
As this was happening, a neighbor informed Spring Hope Firefighter Gene Carlyle that there could possibly be a female with small children in the rear bedroom, as he had seen them a couple days before. This was quickly relayed to the attack crew that was still fighting the fire inside. They were able to make their way into the rear bedroom but the search turned out negative for the other people.
According to Chief Shelton, the woman and her children were away during the Christmas Holiday visiting family. He said that it was a miracle that they were not there as they probably would not have made it out of the apartment with the amount of fire and smoke that was in the rear of the apartment,
According to Fire Marshal Bissette, the vctim had received severe burns from the waist up and smoke inhalation and he is in critical but stable condition and apparently will survive due to the quick action of the firefighters.
The Spring Hope fire chief had high praise for the firefighters and gave credit to the team work and fire training that they received. He said that his company had handled over 800 calls this year, including 199 fire calls. They also saved the lives of two people on EMS calls and credited other fire companies for all their assistance.
According to Fire Marshal Bissette they did a thorough investigation the next morning and it appears that the fire started in the washing machine in the rear of the apartment. The exposure apartment next door received smoke and some water damage
More than 25 firefighters were on location along with two EMS Units and eight pieces of equipment. Their were no other injuries other than the one burned victim. The exposure apartment next door received smoke and some water damage. The Red Cross was call to assisted the occupants of the apartment.
Left to right: Firefighter Chris Chappel, who found the victim, Assistant Chief J.R. Manning, and Captain Rance Manning, who assisted in the rescue
View more photos from this incident HERE.
