It was about 3am the bars were closed and as a taxi driver its our slow time and I wanted a Pepsi so I headed home, you see I keep my case of Pepsi’s on the front porch, it was winter and it was colder outside then it was in my fridge.
I live on top of a hill and as I crested the hill I noticed a cloud of smoke thought it was to late for a BBQ so I headed down the hill and about a block and turned left and saw it was not a BBQ but a house on fire. I pulled my Taxi in front of the house and called 911 as I was talking to 911 a woman came running out from around the back of the house and was screaming "my baby my baby". I informed the 911 operator that I guess there was baby’s involved. There was he was a 3 year old little boy in the house she ran in and handed him to me through the window and I ran him to the Taxi. Thinking we were finished she ran at me yelling
"My daughter my daughter" I still had 911 on the line and informed them there is another one a little girl in the house. We were back around at the side of the house at the little girl’s window. I picked up a small picnic bench to break the window so I could pull the little girl out, but her mom picked up a small bolder and threw it over my head and I am 6foot tall and she was maybe 4 foot 2.
The whole house is now in flames and the heat is unbelievable. When the rock went through the window flames came shooting out then went back in. She reached her hand through the window to unlock it so I could reach in and bring her daughter through, but as she was reaching through the window the heat was so hot that the skin started to melt off her arm and I had to pull her out, yelling at her that it was to hot. I grabbed her by her good arm and started to run with her back towards the street as we were running the windows started to blow out behind us and we were being showered in hot glass.
We were standing across the street watching the house burn and I was listening to a mother screaming in pain from the loss of a child and an arm with flesh hanging off it, I thought I better check on the little boy so I did. It was about that time the police and fire department showed up. I was given a Certificate of Appreciation from the South Kitsap Fire and Rescue for Courage, Compassion and Benevolence. Along with a figurine of a firemen holding a flag and was also honored by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce and was also honored by the Red Cross Chapter that I belong to. I sent along the news paper web address it has the story and pictures and a picture of the plaques and figurine.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/mar/14/the-windows-exploded-behind-us/#ixzz10ylfkeof