Neighbor saves disabled woman from Roosevelt house fire

SEATTLE -- A disabled Seattle woman's quick-thinking neighbor was able to rescue her from a potentially disastrous Christmas morning house fire in the Roosevelt neighborhood.

The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, called the disabled woman early Tuesday morning to check on her because the woman's daughter recently passed away. The homeowner, who is confined to a wheelchair, told the neighbor her house was on fire.

The neighbor rushed over to the house, located in the 7000 block of Brooklyn Ave. NE, and kicked down the door. He told the homeowner to move to the back of the house, where there's a wheelchair ramp. The neighbor then went around the house and helped the woman down the ramp.

Firefighters were on scene moments later and were able to quickly put the fire out. There were no injuries, and firefighters rescued the woman's two dogs.

Lt. Sue Stangl with the Seattle Fire Department called the situation a "wonderful example of neighbors helping neighbors."

"In this situation he was able to do it safely and absolutely made a difference in this woman's life," she said.

Others in the tight-knit neighborhood also praised the rescuer.

"He's more than just a neighbor," one woman said. "It's a family here. It means I know I have people I can count on if I need help, too."

It's unclear how severely the house was damaged, but fire officials say it is currently uninhabitable. It's also unclear how the fire started.