"To say that his efforts were extraordinary would be an understatement," the fire department said
Credit: FOX 4/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- A Texas man is being credited with saving two girls from a deadly house fire
- Before firefighters arrived at the scene, a “good Samaritan,” later identified as Leon Segura, ran inside the Fort Worth home, where he found two unconscious girls and carried them out to safety
- “To say that his efforts were extraordinary would be an understatement,” the fire department said
A Texas man is being hailed as a hero after saving two girls from a deadly house fire.
According to the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD), dispatchers began receiving reports of a house fire — with multiple people trapped inside — on the 4200 block of McCart Avenue on the city's south side just after 3 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 27.
Before firefighters arrived at the scene, a "good Samaritan" passerby — later identified as local resident Leon Segura by CBS Texas, NBC DFW and FOX 4 — saw the smoke coming from the home and ran to it.
"He was able to break out the glass of a back door and kicked through another. He pulled two school-aged females from the house and brought them to the street," the FWFD wrote on Facebook.
Less than four minutes after being dispatched, firefighters arrived at the scene and began performing lifesaving measures on the two girls. They were then taken via helicopter to burn units in critical condition.
Two other children were also pulled from the house by firefighters. One was taken to a local hospital, and the other was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fire officials later clarified that seven people lived in the home, including two adults and five children. One of the children was unharmed, and the two adults were treated for their injuries at the scene.
Speaking to the outlets, Segura shared that he was driving down the street when he first saw the fire — as well as one of the children standing on the house's front porch. The child told him that her siblings were inside.
"I had the windows down and heard some screaming, so I really quickly just jumped out of the truck," Segura said. "I kicked down the front door, and it was really hot, and I couldn't get in at all. The flames were super hot."
According to the father of two, he got inside by punching through a glass door and wrapping a bandana around his face.
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"It was really bad in there," he said, sharing that two of the children were unconscious inside. He acted quickly, grabbing one of the girls and taking her outside before returning for the other.
"As soon as I grabbed the last child, I put her over my shoulders, and that's when the back of the house started booming and banging," he recalled. "The explosion started — or whatever it was — started exploding."
"I knew I had to do that," continued Segura, who has two daughters, ages 17 and 18. "What if it were one of my kids? I would want to have somebody act immediately."
The local community is praising Segura's heroism and quick thinking.
"Because of this man’s heroic actions and his willingness to run into danger without concern for his own safety, he gave two girls a chance at survival. He himself suffered multiple lacerations and burns," the FWFD said. "To say that his efforts were extraordinary would be an understatement."
According to the fire department, the house was heavily damaged by the fire, and the American Red Cross is providing assistance to the family involved.
Investigators are still looking into the cause of the blaze, fire officials said.
"Our hearts hurt for these children, and we are holding them in our prayers as they fight for their lives," the FWFD added in its statement. "We once again want to thank the good Samaritan for his heroic efforts in pulling some of the children from the home. As you process the heaviness and magnitude of this devastating incident, please take the time to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home."
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