Three kids rescued from blaze

Friday, Dec. 19, 2003 | 11:08 a.m.

Three small children were rescued today from a burning apartment building as a neighbor and firefighters endured thick, black smoke and flames to get them out.

The predawn fire occurred at the Ashton Park Apartments, 4441 Escondido St., two blocks south of the Clark County Library on Flamingo Road.

Two of the children, described as being 5 years old or younger, were rushed to nearby Sunrise Hospital where they were stabilized and then taken to the University Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. Their condition was being assessed this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The fire started about 5 a.m. in a first-floor unit of the two-story eight-plex and damaged four units. Leinbach estimated the damage at $200,000.

The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, fire officials said, noting that one of the children woke up her mother and said something was wrong with the microwave oven.

Firefighters and Ashton Park management are proclaiming neighbor Clifton Anthony as a hero for his actions in saving one of the children, and the apartment management has offered Anthony one year's free rent.

Before firefighters arrived, Anthony, a next-door neighbor of the family whose apartment caught on fire, said he was awakened by his hysterical neighbor.

"She was yelling, 'My babies, my babies,' " Anthony said, who speculated that she must have left the building through her bedroom window with the eldest of her four children in her arms because the door was locked.

"I kicked in her front door and the smoke poured out," said Anthony, a 6-foot-6 man who works in the Sahara Hotel's accounting office. "I got down and crawled on my knees and found one of Melissa's children and was able to get the child out.

"I just couldn't get to the other two children because they were behind the fire. I really wish I could have gotten to the other two children."

Clark County Fire Capt. Richard Reid said firefighters arrived on scene earlier than under normal circumstances because they had just returned to the station, about two minutes away from the fire, fully dressed in gear after responding to a false alarm.

They found the woman clutching two children and begging firefighters to save the other two still trapped inside.

"At that point, rescuing those children became our number one priority and saving the building was secondary," Reid said, noting the front of the building and trees were ablaze as his firefighters entered the building.

"The firefighters did an excellent job reaching both of the children almost immediately. They were in the hallway unconscious and had suffered burns."

The firefighters carried the children to the waiting ambulance where paramedics snaked tubes down their throats to administer oxygen and get them to the hospital. The two children were the only ones injured in the blaze.

Reid said it was fortuitous that firefighters had been out on another call and were ready to respond because the extra seconds may have saved the children's lives.

"I'd say we saved about 45 seconds," Reid said. "When you are talking about 1,500 degree flames, 45 seconds is a lot of time."

Barbara Holland, of H & L Realty, representing management of the building, said 11 people were displaced and all would be provided with vacant apartments in Ashton Park.

"In recognition of Mr. Anthony's bravery, we are giving him one year's free rent," Holland said. "In this day and age it is so rare to find a real hero. Mr. Anthony is a real hero."

While Anthony, who had lived there for 18 months, was optimistic that he would be able to return to his home today, Jorge Santos, who lives with his family in the unit above the one that burned, was not.

"I had been asleep, got up and opened the door and saw the flames coming right up at me," said Santos, who has lived in the complex for two years. "We got out as fast as we could and ran down the stairs."

Leinbach said Santos' apartment and the one where the fire originated suffered heavy smoke, fire and water damage while the two neighboring units suffered smoke and heat damage.

Leinbach said nine units and 30 firefighters fought the blaze.

Firefighters said smoke alarms in the building were going off as they arrived.

Holland said all fire safety equipment is monitored regularly at the complex, but because of today's fire, she ordered maintenance staff to again check all smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.