News : Family escapes from fire with help from officer, ambulance crewman

Officer Josh West and Tony Thompson of the NBA service saved a family from a fire at this house.

Ronnetta Slager and her two kids escaped the burning house via this small roof above the entry.

Electrical workers and cleaning crews are busy today at 704 Second Avenue in Vinton, where a fire Sunday morning caused significant damage.

But thanks to a Vinton police officer and North Benton Ambulance Service first responder, the Scott and Ronnetta Slager family only has to deal with the loss of property (and a pet), instead of serious injury or perhaps death to themselves.

The Slager family was awakened by their smoke detectors going off early Sunday morning, and by the time the mother and children tried to exit the bedroom doors, the fire and smoke had already completely engulfed the upstairs bedroom hallway.

At 2:34 a.m. Sunday, Officer Josh West, who was working alone, was dispatched along with the Vinton Fire Department and North Benton Ambulance, to 704 2nd Avenue for a report of a house fire with four occupants still inside.

The officer discovered the adult female of the house and two small children standing on the small roof over the front entry way, just outside a second floor bedroom window which had smoke billowing from it, engulfing the woman and her children.

Ronetta Slager directed Josh to find her husband, Scott, who is recovering from a traumatic accident, and who was still inside the house.

Josh went inside the smoke-filled home and found Scott, disoriented, at the bottom of the stairs on the first floor near the front door. It was later learned that Scott had apparently fallen down the entire flight of stairs attempting to escape the flames and smoke.

Scott indicated to Josh that he was ok, and asked Josh go back and help his wife and kids, which he did.

Josh was able to find an end table inside the house and use it as a step stool so he could reach the small children as their mother lowered them to him from the roof. By this time, a neighbor became aware of the commotion, and found a ladder which was used to get the mother down safely.

Tony Thomsen from North Benton Ambulance arrived at the scene in his personal vehicle, and entered the front door of the house at Josh's direction and assisted the husband in getting out before smoke overtook him.

The four occupants were transported to Virginia Gay Hospital for smoke inhalation; three of them remained there well into the day Sunday. The family dog died from smoke inhalation.