Town of Clay, NY (WSYR-TV) -- Neighbors called Lateef Haskins a hero Saturday, after he pulled the Poon family from their burning home Friday night.
Haskins and three Sheriff's deputies pulled four people from the second story windows of their home on Bayberry Circle in Clay just before 11:30 p.m. Friday night. Investigators believe the fire was caused by a faulty electrical cord.
Haskins says he was watching television when he heard people yelling for help.
"It
just looked like a little candle in the window, but by the time we got to the mom it was just engulfed in flames and raging," said Haskins, who ran to get a ladder when he saw the flames. "It was starting to come up off the roof."
When deputies arrived, Haskins stayed to help direct them to the right windows. But he says, he was only doing what any good neighbor would want in return.
"Sometimes I think of that scenario--if I couldnt get to my kids, what would I do to get to them?" said Haskins. "I was glad I had a ladder just to get to them. If there hadn't been a ladder, who knows?"
The American Red Cross is helping the family with temporary living arrangements. Haskins says he plans to send them a gift package.
Town of Clay, NY (WSYR-TV) -- Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputies rescued four people from a house fire in Clay Friday night.
Four deputies were the first to arrive at the scene at 37 Bayberry Circle. Before fire crews got there, the deputies, Tim Hahn, Mike Doupe, Tim Kelly, and Bob Bell, worked together to move a ladder from a house next door and extend it to the second floor of the home on fire, to help four family members escape.
According to the Onondaga County Undersheriff, the deputies were told that if they hadn’t acted, the fire would have been deadly.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Matthew, Catherine and Scarlet Poon, and Amy Chei were pulled from the building and taken to University Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Matthew Poon was also being treated for burns.
Three deputies were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Everyone is expected to recover.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but it’s believed that the fire could have started from a faulty electrical cord.
