Neighbor saves woman from burning mobile home

May 29--Hertig was credited with rescuing Virginia Todd from a burning mobile home on Sonlight Lane. Firefighters with the Tyro Rural Fire Department were dispatched to the working mobile home fire at 10:42 a.m. Friday, said Courtney Hepler, telecommunicator with Davidson County 911.

Tyro firefighter John Mosby said his department extinguished the fire within minutes of arriving on the scene. He said the fire resulted in the home sustaining heavy damage.

"(Todd) is lucky," Mosby said. "(Hertig) saved her life. She was asleep in the bed. He saved her life."

Hertig said his girlfriend, Rachel Nichols, told him the neighbor's house was on fire. He first thought she was not being serious.

"We come outside and I saw the whole front of the house in flames," Hertig recalled. "I said, 'Oh my God, call 911.'"

Hertig took off running and hollering in case anyone was inside. He started slamming his hand on the side of the residence, at which time he heard Todd.

With the house on fire, Hertig jumped over a gate and went through the back door by jerking it open. He went inside and could feel the heat blasting. There was bad visibility with smoke.

"I guess me slamming on the window woke her up," Hertig said.

Hertig found Todd with a dog inside of the home and looking for a cat. He got the woman and dog outside of the home. Hertig said he hesitated for a few moments but went back inside for the cat.

"I got down low, ducked down trying to be low," he said. "I crept in and I looked around in a couple of rooms for the cat. The cat was black though. I couldn't see that far in front of me. I was breathing smoke. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I hated it, but I came back out without the cat."

Firefighters ended up finding the cat outside.

"I feel like I did what anybody should have done," he said. "I knew there were people inside."

Davidson County Fire Marshal Danny Ward said he doesn't have an official cause for the fire but suspects it started in or around a container that had discarded smoking materials in it. While the State Bureau of Investigation assisted, he doesn't believe foul play was involved.

Tyro Chief Barry Shoaf and Ward believe the mobile home could be repaired. Ward said the homeowner does have insurance.

Suzzanna Dean said her husband, Charles, their children, Steven, 19, and Josh, 13, and her mom, Todd, lived at the residence. She was at work when she was alerted by her husband to the fire.

The Deans didn't have renter's insurance. Suzzanna Dean said the fire comes at a tough time because her husband just returned to work after having an injury. He received a settlement for a workplace injury, and the Deans thought they were getting back on track.

"For the first time in our lives, we were actually OK," she said. "We got a new TV. I got a new computer. My son got a PlayStation."

The mother broke into tears as she talked about saving up a deposit to buy their first home.

Suzzanna Dean works at Vitacost.com in Lexington. She received an e-mail from her husband about the fire, because she can't take phone calls at her job in the call center. Even though firefighters and investigators were on the scene, the wife told her husband to stay at work because his job is important.

"We were just trying to do better," Dean said. "We finally managed to get a car for me and my husband. That's what we spent the majority of the settlement on."

The Greater High Point-Davidson Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the family. Residents who would like to help can email Dean at [email protected].

Responding agencies were the Linwood, Tyro and Churchland fire departments, Davidson County EMS, SBI and the Davidson County Fire Marshal's Office.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or [email protected]. Follow Darrick on Twitter: @DispatchDarrick

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