London firefighter Jack Garfat saved the life of a Grace Street woman early today and was badly burned himself.
London firefighter Jack Garfat, credited with saving the life of a Grace Street woman trapped in her burning apartment early today, relaxes at home after receiving treatment for head and hand burns.
By Doug Specht of The Free Press
The firefighter received burns to his hands, wrists, ears and neck as he led a trapped Winnifred Hotham, 38, through her blazing basement apartment at 15 Grace St., to a window where fellow firefighters were waiting to lift the pair out.
The 26-year-old firefighter will require plastic surgery to repair damage to his hands and ears, said a spokesman at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Miss Hotham was treated for smoke inhalation and burns to her right hand.
Victor and Ruth Wainwright, the occupants of the ground-floor apartment, said they were awakened shortly after 2 a.m., by Miss Hotham’s shouts.
Mr. Wainwright said he ran from the house to a side door leading to the basement to try to get Miss Hotham from her apartment while his wife alerted the upper-floor tenant, Margaret Hyde.
After telephoning the fire department, Mrs. Wainwright herded Mrs. Hyde and the Wainwrights’ three Samoyeds from the 1 ½ storey frame house.
Mr. Wainwright said he broke open the door leading to Miss Hotham’s apartment but the woman was unable to find her way through the dense smoke.
He said he then broke one of the apartment’s windows and began spraying water from a garden hose on the flames inside.
Constable Malcolm Vizer arrived on the scene moments before firefighters and tried to enter the apartment but was forced back by smoke and flames.
Captain Hugh Garley of No. 4 fire company on Colborne Street said Mr. Garfat plunged through the smoke into the apartment, located the shouting woman, then led and carried her until he found the open window.
Damage – set at $2,500 – was limited to the basement apartment. The Wainwrights and Mrs. Hyde returned to their apartments later.
Cause of the blaze is suspected to be a cigarette butt or live ash dropped into a chesterfield.
