ST. CHARLES, Mo. — An off-duty firefighter in suburban St. Louis pulled two people from a house fire early Sunday, authorities said.
According to a Facebook post by the St. Charles Fire Department, Kevin Drury, a firefighter and paramedic, responded to a structure fire at 6:36 a.m. CST in the 1500 block of Santa Barbara Drive.
Drury and an officer with the St. Charles Police Department both knew there were people inside the residence, and they opened the door and observed “thick smoke banked down to within 8 inches of the floor,” KSDK-TV reported.
Drury called out to the residents, according to the television station. After they responded, Drury tried several entrances before reaching the victims and dragging them to the front door of the residence, KFVS-TV reported. They were then tended to by first responders who had also arrived at the scene, according to the television station.
The victims were taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment, according to KMOV-TV. A St. Charles firefighter was transported to St. Joseph Health Center, where he was treated and released, the television station reported.
“Firefighter/Paramedic Drury’s actions this morning without a doubt saved the lives of these two residents,” St. Charles Fire Department Chief George Sheets said in a statement. “We are very thankful that he and the police officer did not suffer any major injuries.”
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