Crescent City Fire and Rescue officials are acknowledging a local man for his efforts in removing a woman from a burning apartment Tuesday night. According to a release from Interim Fire Chief Bill Gillespie, firefighters responded to a structure fire at 1000 Scenic Creek, Scenic Creek Apartments, to find a downstairs apartment with heavy smoke inside. Gillespie said the apartment’s sprinkler system had also been activated.

“Arriving crews also found that an elderly victim had been removed from the smoke-filled apartment by neighbor Daniel Hungerford,” the release said. “The rescued occupant was suffering from smoke inhalation.” An ambulance was requested and oxygen was administered to the patient.

Mr. Hungerford told fire officials he heard a neighbor yelling “smoke” and ran to the apartment door. “When he opened the door, there was smoke down to the floor,” the release said. “He stated that he saw the victim’s hand in the smoke and rushed in to grab her. He was able to remove the victim just as the fire department arrived on scene.”

The building’s sprinklers put out the fire, which appeared to have been caused by smoking materials nearby an oxygen tank and tubing, which ignited the tubing. The sprinkler and alarm systems were reset so other tenants could reenter the building.

“Crescent City Fire & Rescue would like to remind our community that oxygen and open flames and smoking materials do not mix,” the release states. “Oxygen can rapidly accelerate fire and flame spread. Oxygen-fueled fires can also cause significant
injury. Please be safe when using oxygen.”

Officials estimated the damage of the fire to have been about $10,000 and the name of the elderly woman pulled from the apartment was not released.