Officers rescue elderly woman from burning home

WCCO, SOUTH ST. PAUL POLICE, CNN

By WCCO Staff

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    SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — Two people were hurt in a fire early Wednesday morning in South St. Paul.

The fire started just after 5 a.m. at a home on Frost Street, according to the South Metro Fire Department.

As fierce flames filled the home, Sgt. Michael Dahl and his partner Officer Aaron Schmidt jumped into action.

Busting through a backdoor, they were able to get a woman in her 80s out safely. Before the intense heat and thick smoke forced Dahl to get out.

“Hard to turn around because I thought that might have been our only option to get in the house,” Dahl said.

But both officers did not give up, locating the room she was in before Schmidt went inside and helped carry her out.

Within minutes, she was on the other side, safe.

Don Novack credits these officers for saving his mother’s life.

“She told me last night she thought she was going to die there,” Novack said. “Fortunately, we have heroes like those officers that would go into a burning building.”

His mother was taken to Regions Hospital for smoke inhalation and Novack says she is improving.

The blaze left behind charred furniture and a partially collapsed roof.

Novack says the silver lining in this situation is that his mom and uncle both made it out alive. He’s hopeful to meet both officers to thank them for their heroic actions.

Officials say they’re still working to determine the fire’s origins.

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