Firefighters rescue a woman from a burning house in downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A heroic moment was captured on camera as Fresno firefighters rescued a woman from a burning home in downtown Fresno Friday morning.

The fire broke out around 10 a.m. at a home near Cedar and Grant avenues.

“I felt frozen, I felt stuck, I felt like my world was crashing down right there, you know. Because we didn’t know what was happening to her,” Judy Mena said.

Judy explains how she felt knowing her girlfriend was locked in the house.

Helmet camera footage provided to Action News by the Fresno Fire Department shows the moment firefighters pulled the woman out.

Judy says her girlfriend went inside to save her dogs.

“She was there for about ten minutes screaming for help because she was in the kitchen and the ceiling collapsed on her in front of her,” Judy recalled.

Unfortunately, four of the five dogs died.

A Fresno firefighter says a preliminary investigation shows the fire started from a wall heater.

“There was some kind of heat spread from that device that ignited the exterior of the house and then spread into the attic and the rest of the house,” said Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Brian Downs.

The fire also spread to a neighbor’s house.

They didn’t want to talk on camera, but they told Action News they were expecting a baby and it destroyed all of the baby’s belongings.

“It’s incredible, you just don’t think it’s going to happen to you until it does,” said Tino Mena, Judy’s brother.

Tino Mena, Judy’s brother, says he is heartbroken to learn his family’s home is no longer there.

“My mom’s photo was right on that wall, right on the other side, the last photo we took, yeah, it was right there,” Tino said.

Firefighters say the fire is a reminder to check that heaters are working as temperatures begin to drop.

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