Cape Girardeau firefighters rescue woman, dog from late-night house fire

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — Cape Girardeau firefighters rescued a woman and her dog from a late-night house fire Saturday after crews arrived to find multiple structures engulfed in flames.

Cape Girardeau Firefighters Local 1084 responded to the residential fire at about 10:30 p.m. While en route, crews saw a large glow coming from the neighborhood. Battalion 2 upgraded the response to a working fire, bringing in additional engine companies, a mobile air supply unit and extra personnel, while also staffing stations across the city to maintain coverage.

Firefighters arrived to find two homes and a garage or outbuilding heavily involved with fire. Neighbors told crews that a woman and her dog were still trapped inside one of the residences.

Engine 1 and Ladder 1 began a coordinated rescue. Ladder 1 firefighters used a Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search technique to access a bedroom where the resident was believed to be located. During the rescue, fire conditions worsened, and the doorway to the bedroom failed, allowing smoke and fire to enter the room.

Despite extreme heat, exploding ammunition and rapidly deteriorating conditions, firefighters located and rescued both the woman and her dog. Both were conscious and were taken by ambulance to a hospital for further evaluation.

Local 1084 credited neighbors for quickly alerting responders and praised the coordinated efforts of all fire companies involved. Fire officials reminded residents to ensure smoke detectors are working and to practice multiple escape plans.

Firefighters also thanked automatic aid and mutual aid partners who assisted at the scene and helped provide citywide coverage during the emergency.