Two good Samaritans rescued a woman from a burning apartment Saturday morning before fire crews arrived at the home, a San Jose fire captain said.
Dispatchers received reports of a fire burning at the Del Coronado Apartments, located at 5263 Camden Ave. near Blossom Hill Road, around 4:55 a.m., Capt. Anthony Pianto said. The caller said that a fire was burning in one apartment and that the resident was screaming for help.
Before crews arrived at the apartments a maintenance worker and another tenant attempted to break down the front door and rescue the woman inside, Pianto said. However, the fire was burning in the living room, which prevented them from helping the resident.
The two then pulled a van up to the balcony at the back of the apartment and brought the woman to safety. They then began dousing the flames with a garden hose, which is where the responding fire crews found them.
"They did a great job a rescuing her, there could have been serious injuries without their quick thinking and actions," Pianto said.
The woman was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, but investigators have pinpointed its origin in the living room of the home. The apartment is not a total loss, but it is uninhabitable today due to smoke and water damage, Pianto said.
