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SALT LAKE CITY — Three Rocky Mountain Power workers helped pull a man out of a burning home on Wednesday morning, probably saving the man’s life, police said.
The 89-year-old man is at University Hospital in critical, but stable, condition, Unified Police Sgt. Jeff Evans said.
At about 11 a.m. Wednesday, a healthcare worker arrived at the man’s home, near 3400 Milehigh Drive, and noticed smoke coming from the home, Evans said.
The healthcare worker called for the two Rocky Mountain Power workers, who were across the street, Evans said.
They couldn’t get into the home through the front door or the windows on the east side because there was too much smoke, Evans said.
Finally, the workers broke through a sliding glass door on the back side of the house. Evans said they were able to pull the man out of the house.
“They were obviously instrumental in getting him out of the house and probably saving his life,” he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and there were no signs of suspicious activity, Evans said.
Rod Nicholes, one of the workers, said he gets annual first aid training as part of his job. He performed CPR once he and his coworker, Blake Bleazard, got the man out of the burning home.
“I’d have to say this is probably one of the most intense things I’ve ever witnessed or been a part of,” he said.
Bleazard found a chair and threw it through the glass door to get inside. He said the house was practically overflowing with smoke.
“You could see a little bit coming out, but it was a whole lot as soon as we opened the door,” Bleazard said of the smoke. “It was just pouring out.”
Evans said two dogs and the man’s adult daughter also lived in the home. The daughter wasn’t at home at the time of the fire.
Both dogs were outside the house during the fire. One was taken to a neighbor’s home and the other was taken to a veterinarian for treatment, Evans said.
Nicholes said helping the man was an obvious decision.
“With the training we get, I just went into action,” he said.
Even after the intense experience, though, it was time to get back to work.
“We still had our job to do,” Nicholes said.
Contributing: Sean Moody, KSL TV
