Neighbor Runs Into Fire, Saves Man From Burning NJ Home

Alex Fuentes had just arrived home with his wife on Thursday evening when they heard an alarm blaring down the street. His wife spotted smoke billowing from a neighbor's house on Brookwood Drive, and Fuentes knew an elderly man lived there alone.

While his wife called 911, Fuentes ran to the burning home. He knocked, then opened the front door to thick, dark smoke filling the house.

"I called out to him, and he was able to respond, kind of groaning a little bit," Fuentes said. The off-duty Belleville firefighter made his way through the darkness toward the sound.

The man couldn't walk, so Fuentes physically dragged him out through the front door and onto the lawn. Within minutes, Wayne's volunteer first aid squad took over, treating the victim for severe smoke inhalation.

By the time Wayne Fire Company Chief Barry Turner arrived on scene with his son, an off-duty Paterson firefighter, the rescued man was already on the lawn receiving help. The Turners grabbed a large extinguisher and rushed inside to attack the flames spreading across the kitchen ceiling.

Volunteer firefighters from three Wayne fire companies responded to the call just before 5:45 pm. They performed complete sweeps of the home to ensure no one else was trapped inside.

Chief Mike Gough of Fire Company #3 described heavy smoke pouring from the front door and fire racing across the kitchen ceiling. His team knocked down the blaze quickly, preventing the home from total destruction.

Sunny's Take

The rescued man was stabilized and transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in stable condition. No firefighters were injured, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

What makes this story especially heartwarming is the chain of quick thinking and bravery. A neighbor who happened to be a trained firefighter. A wife who called 911 immediately. Volunteers who dropped everything to respond. Chief Turner summed it up perfectly: "I'm just happy to be able to help people."

In a moment when seconds mattered, a community came together to save a life.