A 101-year-old Santa Ana resident, identified as Ann Edwards, was rescued from a house fire on Jan. 15 after neighbors and a passing UPS driver intervened. Neighbors used extinguishers and a roofer sprayed water into a kitchen vent while UPS driver Willy Esquivel carried the hesitant woman to safety. Firefighters arrived shortly after and extinguished flames that had spread into the attic; Edwards was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Officials credited quick action and teamwork for the positive outcome.
UPS Driver Carries 101-Year-Old From Burning Santa Ana Home: "I Just Did What Was Right"
KTLA 5/Youtube;Orange County Fire Authority/FacebookUPS driver Willy Esquivel, footage of house fire in Orange County, Calif., on Jan. 15
On Jan. 15 in Santa Ana, California, a 101-year-old woman was pulled to safety from a house fire thanks to swift action by neighbors and a passing UPS driver, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) said.
According to the OCFA, neighbors first spotted smoke and rushed to the home, pounding on the door and attempting to guide the resident out. When the woman hesitated, a nearby UPS driver, later identified by KTLA 5 as Willy Esquivel, lifted her and carried her out to safety.
Other people on scene used portable fire extinguishers to slow flames that had taken hold in the kitchen. One neighbor, described as a roofer, climbed a ladder and sprayed water into the kitchen vent from the roof with a garden hose to help control the blaze until firefighters arrived.
Firefighters Extinguished Remaining Flames
Fire crews arrived shortly after the emergency call and put out remaining flames that had spread into the attic. OCFA said the woman, identified by local outlets as Ann Edwards, was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
“A remarkable outcome made possible by quick action, teamwork and people looking out for one another in a moment of need,” the OCFA wrote in a Facebook post praising those who intervened.
Esquivel told KTLA 5 he did not consider himself a hero: “I just did what I thought was right. At the end of the day, she’s someone’s mother, someone’s grandmother, great-grandmother.” He said he was simply glad to be in the right place at the right time and hopes she makes a quick recovery.
The woman’s son, Rick Edwards, thanked Esquivel for his help, telling KTLA 5, “God bless you, man, for sticking with her and getting her out of there.”
OCFA officials emphasized that the favorable outcome was the result of neighbors taking quick action, a delivery driver’s intervention and firefighters extinguishing the remaining fire. No further details on Edwards’ condition or the cause of the fire were released publicly, and the OCFA did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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