A heroic off-duty paramedic made a split-second decision that saved a young girl's life, rushing into a raging fire outside her Los Angeles home.
A Thanksgiving Drive Turns into a Rescue Mission
Richard Recinos was driving home from a family Thanksgiving dinner in the late hours of Thursday, 28th November, when he spotted flames lighting up the night in the East Hollywood area of LA. The time was around 11:30 pm. Trained to act in emergencies, Recinos arrived at the scene even before the fire crews.
He found seven-year-old Savannah standing alone on her porch, seemingly frozen. The situation was dire: two large trees directly in front of the property were fully engulfed in fire, and burning ash and embers were raining down around the house.
The Split-Second Grab for Safety
With no time to waste, Recinos zipped up his leather jacket for some protection and sprinted towards the terrified child. He scooped her up, carried her away from the immediate danger, and got her to safety. Firefighters arrived moments later to help the rest of Savannah's family, who were still inside the house, evacuate safely.
"Considering the circumstances, I saw my opportunity for a quick grab and go, quick exit, and everything went well," Recinos later said. He described it as an instinctive choice he would make again "in a heartbeat."
The Aftermath and a Career Ambition Strengthened
Savannah was taken to hospital as a precaution and treated for minor burns to her feet caused by the falling hot ash. She spent the night under observation. Speaking to ABC 7, the young girl recalled how a neighbour first alerted her family to the fire.
"I saw this spark and at first I thought it was just my imagination," Savannah said. "I just stood there for like 10 seconds – I didn't know what to do." She then remembered her school's fire safety lessons, which told her not to grab anything and to leave immediately, prompting her to alert her grandmother.
Recinos, who has long harboured an ambition to become a firefighter, said the night's events had only strengthened his resolve to pursue a career in the fire service. "That guy just came out of nowhere and... then he helped me get out of the fire," Savannah said of her rescuer.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported they were called at 11:43 pm to a tree fire that was threatening a two-storey building. They upgraded the incident to a structure fire to protect the home. Fortunately, damage was largely confined to the exterior. The family's car, parked near the trees, was destroyed, but the house itself remains intact and habitable. No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation.
