Man escapes burning home through second-story window
(Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE) A Westmond home was destroyed by fire early Thursday and the homeowner forced to jump out the second floor of his house to escape.
(Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE) Flames pour out of a Westmond home after it caught fire early Thursday.
(Photo courtesy SELKIRK FIRE, RESCUE & EMS) A Westmond home was destroyed by fire early Thursday and the homeowner forced to jump out the second floor of his house to escape.
WESTMOND — As smoke and fire filled the house, a man was forced to flee from his home by jumping out a second-story window just before 1 a.m. Thursday on Westmond Road.
According to Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS Battalion Captain Kevin Amorebieta, the homeowner was awakened by smoke detectors alarming him of the fire. Due to heavy flames, he was unable to exit through his bedroom door. He was not injured from the jump or the fire, and the homeowner was the only one in the home.
An off-duty fire captain who lives in the neighborhood responded in his personal vehicle and found the house fully engulfed in fire. The first engine had a 15-minute response from the dispatched time of 12:45 a.m. Upon arrival, the engine captain ruled out interior operations and began an exterior defensive strategy with six fire trucks and a water supply shuttle. The scene was cleared around 4:30 a.m.
The 5,500-square-foot home, valued at approximately $600,000, was a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.