Stories of police rescue are always so inspiring because they often go above and beyond to save the life of the victim even if their own lives are at risk.
Last week a Tennessee police officer put his life on the line when he entered a burning home to rescue a disabled woman as the house was being rocked by fiery explosions.
The body camera of Corporal Allan Ervin of the Columbia Police Department recorded an explosive ball of fire coming from the home as soon as he arrived and jumped out of his patrol vehicle.
The police said that the incident happened before 8:30 a.m. on Friday in the Riverside neighborhood. Ervin did not hesitate because of the blaze, but boldly enters the front door of the engulfed home. Ervin’s bodycam was stopped by the department before he entered the home due to the condition of the rescued woman and its graphic nature.
Ervin ran into the home and carried the disabled woman to safety. “As a police officer, the first thing you think of is the preservation of life, and fortunately, we were able to do that,” Ervin said. “We know the risks we take when we go out there. You just have to react and use your best judgment.”
Watch: Police Officer Runs Into Explosive House Fire To Rescue Disabled Woman
At 8:21 am Friday July 9, Columbia Police Officers were dispatched to a residential structure fire. Upon arrival, Corporal Allan Ervin found a disabled woman still inside the home. Crpl. Ervin responded by entering the home, retrieving the individual and carrying her to safety.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The following video is from Crpl. Ervin’s body-worn camera. Due to the condition of the rescued woman and its graphic nature we did stop the video before she could be viewed.
Crpl. Ervin suffered no injuries during the incident and the rescued woman remains in critical care at Vanderbilt Hospital for burns and smoke inhalation.
Warning: The following video contains content that may be disturbing to some.
Posted by Columbia Police Department, Tennessee on Tuesday, 13 July 2021
The real reason behind the fire is being investigated, but Columbia Fire and Rescue said multiple explosions heard throughout the neighborhood were from oxygen tanks bursting in the blaze. Ervin and other first responders did not suffer any injuries, authorities said.
Neighbors said that the non-communicative 37-year-old woman lived at the home with her mother and father. Her parents escaped the fire but couldn’t get back in after the explosions began. The rescued woman is in critical care at Vanderbilt Hospital for burns and smoke inhalation, while her mother and father were both treated at Maury Regional Medical Center.