Good Samaritans came to the rescue of a Middletown family as they jumped from their burning home on Sunday night and the fire department is trying to identify the people who came forward and saved lives.
Officials from the South Fire District said they responded to a fire on Dunham Road around 8 p.m. and there were reports that people might be trapped in an upstairs apartment.
They arrived within five minutes and found heavy fire.
Four people, including two children, who live on the second floor had jumped from the windows and several people came to their rescue and caught the children and a woman, according to the fire department.
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A man who jumped from the second floor was injured, according to the fire department.
Eliezer Reyes, of Bristol, says he was at a corner store on Sunday when he saw smoke coming from an apartment building, so he yelled up to a family inside and caught two children as they came out the windows.
Reyes says he and a neighbor caught one of the adults while the other jumped out.
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“I had told my girlfriend to call 911 and she called 911 immediately," Reyes said.
Chief James Trzaki, of the South Fire District, said time is of the essence when people are in a structure fire like this one and they are trapped.
He said fire was blocking the exit stairs so people couldn’t get out.
“I just encourage everybody to help each other, because like, you might need help and the other person it felt so good to help each other," Reyes said.
And the house had asphalt shingles made out of hydrocarbon, which caused the fire to spread rapidly and emit black smoke.
All four residents who jumped from the home were taken to Middlesex Hospital to be treated for mild smoke inhalation injuries, according to the fire department. One suffered a leg injury.
The fire department asks anyone who knows who the good Samaritans are to contact South Fire District Chief James Trzaski because they were instrumental in saving the residents’ lives.
Firefighters rescued three dogs from the building and Middletown Animal Control officers provided care for them.
Five people are displaced after the fire and the American Red Cross is assisting them.
The South Fire District fire marshal’s office and Middletown police are investigating the cause of the fire, according to the fire department.
