My Daughter, The Hero

From the Daily Democrat

Residents evacuated from College St. blaze
By LIZETH CAZARES/Democrat staffwriter
Article Launched: 09/23/2008 08:06:06 AM PDT


Woodland firefighters battle a blaze in an old home off College Street near Main Street Motors late Monday afternoon. (Jim Smith/Democrat) Local families were evacuated from their residences after a fire broke out in a single-family house on College Street, Monday afternoon.
Fire crews arrived at the home, located immediately north of Main Street Motors, 454 College St., at 3:44 p.m. after receiving a call stating that smoke was emitting from the house, said Fire Battalion Chief Russ Cole.

Flames and black smoke were visible when fire engines arrived at the scene. Crews concentrated water cannons to the upper level of the house and a nearby tree which also caught on fire.

Due to the severity of the fire, engines from Willow Oak and Davis soon arrived to provide backup.

In all, five fire engines, ambulance crews and Woodland police arrived on scene to fight the flames and offer assistance

Fire Battalion Chief Russ Cole inspects the scene after a large house fire on College Street.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of Monday night, Cole said. He added that the fire began in the attic of the home.

Art Heras, owner of Main Street Motors, was one of the first people who noticed smoke coming from the house.

After realizing that there were children still in the house, his brother, Augie, ran inside and told them to get out. The four children were evacuated safety, but were worried about their cat, which was still inside, said Art Heras.

"They ended up going back in for the cat," he said.

The children and their cat is safe, Heras said.

Other bystanders were also making sure that nearby residents were safe.

Amanda Talamantes, a daughter of a firefighter, was driving to work when she saw the flames.

She ran into an multi-residential home immediately east of the burning house, after noticing that the smoke was moving toward it.

"There weren't fire officials on scene so I ran to the home in front to make sure all the occupants were out," Talamantes said.

Talamantes helped evacuate six residents who were inside the two-story home which fronted College.

While the fire was contained to the house, some were taking extra precaution to make sure

In search of any smoldering items, a Woodland firefighter tosses clothing out of the second floor of a house that caught on fire Monday afternoon.