Neighbors help rescue adult, 2 children from Maryland house fire

MIDDLE RIVER, Maryland (WBAL) — An adult and two children were taken to a hospital as a precaution and a family pet died in a fire Tuesday morning.

Baltimore County fire officials said firefighters were called around 7:05 a.m. to a house in the 400 block of Kosoak Road in the Middle River\Bowleys Quarters area.

Officials said firefighters found flames coming from the front of the house as well as smoke from the second floor. Firefighters managed to contain the fire within 20 minutes.

Neighbors helped to get residents out from a second-story window before firefighters arrived.

“This incident is a powerful reminder of the strength of our communities,” Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon said in a news release. “Before our fire and EMS crews arrived, neighbors acted without hesitation to help a mother and her children escape a dangerous situation. I want to thank these residents for their courage and selflessness and commend our crews for their swift response in extinguishing the fire and providing medical support.”

An adult and two children were taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital for possible smoke inhalation and an evaluation.

Steven Angelini was one of the people who helped catch the two children who were dropped out of the second-floor window.

“My immediate reaction is to get out and get help,” Angelini said.

Despite a recent arm injury, Angelini tried to get a ladder. He was unable to do so, though. Angelini shifted his focus on saving the children as the smoke thickened and the fire grew.

“My second reaction was just to get these kids down and save their lives. I told the mother, ‘Just drop them, I’ll catch them,'” Angelini said.

After the children were safely caught, neighbors managed to get the ladder off the truck, allowing the mother to climb down with assistance.

“All three of them, when they came out, ad black soot all over them, and it was horrific — devastating. I’m just glad they’re alive at the end of the day, but nothing else matters. Life matters,” Angelini said.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist the displaced residents.

“It’s adrenaline,” Angelini said. “When you had your adrenaline going and it comes to life or death, you don’t think about anything else, you don’t think about injury, you don’t think about consequences in breaking a leg, breaking an arm. You’re saving their life in that moment.”

The cause of fire remains under investigation.