Before going in, I hit my helmet three times. Colton walked slightly ahead of me.
“I can’t see a thing in here,” Colton said.
“Engine 33,” I called into the mic.
“Fire alarm answering Engine 33.”
“We have smoke filling the entire building, making it difficult to see.”
“Copy that, Engine 33 states a lot of smoke in the building making seeing difficult.”
I heard a cracking sound and reached out for Colton. “Stop! Something’s about to go.”
“I hear it!” Colton replied.
A bark came from the right. I pointed and said, “Over here—I hear it over here.”
“Engine 33, we a
re heading into the first-floor main living, we hear barking.”
“Fire alarm to Engine 33, you are entering the main-floor living.”
Making our way into another room, I caught the silhouette of a young girl holding a dog.
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “There’s a kid in here with the dog!”
“Engine 33, repeat please.”
“There’s a young girl in here. Still conscious…though possibly only barely.”
“Copy that, Engine 33 has found a young girl still alive in the building.”
Captain Adams’s voice filled my helmet. “Engine 33, I need all members to vacate the building immediately. It’s about to go. Finn, Colton, I need you to get out of the building. Now! I repeat, get out of the building. There is a fire in the basement and one working under the roof.”
Fuck. Two different fires; two different places most likely meant the fire was arson.
“Grab her, Finn. I’ll get the dog.”
I went to reach for the dog, and the girl screamed, then started coughing. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you or the dog, but we have to go or you’re both going to be hurt really bad. Do you understand?”
She nodded and handed me the dog, which I then handed to Colton. Reaching down, I picked up the little girl and shouted to Colton, “Get moving—the ceiling above and below is about to go; I feel the heat!”
I was just barely able to see Colton give me a thumbs-up, and we headed back the way we’d come in. The creaking and cracking sounds of the floors grew louder as we moved across it.
“You gotta move faster, Colton! Move it!”
“I’m trying to find the goddamn way out, Finn. I can’t even see my hand in front of my face.”
My heart was racing. We needed to get this kid out of here before she breathed in any more smoke.
“Engine 33. We’re going to need an ambulance.”
“Fire alarm answering Engine 33. Copy that, ambulance in front of rescue two.”
Colton must have pulled ahead, or the smoke was getting much thicker, because I lost sight of him. I heard a loud crash from the direction of the floor behind me as I ran.
“Hold on, sweetheart!” I shouted. I could see the light from the door and ran as fast as I could, praying we got out before the whole damn floor collapsed.