NEED TO KNOW
- An off-duty paramedic helped save a 7-year-old girl whose family’s house caught fire on Thanksgiving night
- Richard Recinos saw the girl just feet away from the fire while returning home from spending the holiday with his family
- Savannah Vazquez, the child who was rescued, and her mom have expressed their gratitude toward Recinos for his heroic efforts
A paramedic is speaking out after helping save a 7-year-old girl whose family’s house caught fire on Thanksgiving while he was off duty.
The two-story duplex caught fire shortly before midnight on Nov. 27 after two large trees went up in flames in front of the building on W. Oakwood Avenue, according to a Facebook post shared by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Richard Recinos, an off-duty paramedic, spotted the blaze in the Larchmont neighborhood while returning home from spending the holiday with his family, CW affiliate KTLA reported. After approaching the scene, he spotted a young girl on the porch — just feet away from the raging fire.
That’s when, Recinos said his “adrenaline kicked in” and he came to the girl’s rescue, according to CBS affiliate KCBS.
That girl, Savannah Vasquez, was in her upstairs bedroom at the time the fire broke out at the home. After informing her grandmother about the blaze, Vasquez said she raced outside without her shoes on.
Vazquez was met by flames upon exiting the house. That’s when Recinos saw the child and raced over to help her.
“Considering the circumstances, I saw my opportunity for a quick grab and go, quick exit, and everything went well,” Recinos said, according to KTLA.
Footage shared by several local news outlets, including ABC affiliate KABC, showed the moment Recinos carried Vasquez to safety as the fire flickered in the background and embers fell from the sky.
“The guy saw me and came running,” Vazquez told KCBS. “That’s what nice people do. Nice people help each other.”
She spent the night in the emergency room after sustaining blisters on her feet, according to KCBS.
Martha Vasquez, the girl’s mom, thanked Recinos for his holiday heroics. “Saving my daughter is saving my heart,” she said.
Meanwhile, Recinos said he would jump into action again “in a heartbeat,” according to KTLA.
The paramedic also said the experience has further fueled his dream of becoming a firefighter himself.
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It remains unclear what caused the fire. Damage caused by the blaze “was primarily limited to the exterior of the residence,” according to the LAFD.