One hurt in Fremont apartment fire - News - PD maks good save

Fremont Firefighters survey the damage to an apartment that caught fire Thursday morning at the Pennsylvania Apartments in Fremont. One woman was transported to the hospital with severe burns. (Anda Chu/The Argus)

FREMONT — A 40-year-old woman rendered unconscious during a two-alarm fire at her apartment complex remained in a local hospital Thursday after suffering significant burns to her body earlier in the day, fire officials said.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was rescued from her second-floor apartment by two veteran police officers who were conducting a traffic stop nearby, officials said.

They saved her by kicking in her front door when they heard her moaning in pain, Fremont fire Capt. Gerry Fogel said.

Firefighters also rescued two other people and six pets from the Pennsylvania Apartments on Mowry Avenue near State Street about 9:15 a.m. Thursday.

None of them was hurt, but because of intense smoke in the central hallway, firefighters had to use ladders to rescue them from balconies and windows, Fogel said.

The two officers, 13-year veteran Brian Shadle and27-year veteran John Anderson, appeared to be OK after saving the woman, but they later were evaluated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation.

Residents of the other 38 units were temporarily evacuated from their homes, but they were allowed to return hours later.

Shadle and Anderson had stopped a car on Mowry Avenue in front of the complex about 9:10 a.m. when a passer-by told them smoke was pouring from the two-story building.

After confirming the witness's account, the officers made their way to the second floor, where they heard a woman moaning for help and saw smoke coming from her apartment at the end of the hallway. They kicked in the door and found the victim lying on the floor, just six feet from the door.

The officers carried her out and took her to emergency medical technicians, who were at a nearby home where they typically stay between assignments.

Firefighters arrived minutes later and extinguished the fire, which burned part of the injured woman's apartment and spread to a neighboring unit.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Thursday.