Cleaning Crew Smashes Window to Rescue Woman from Deadly California Fire: Report

One person was killed in the blaze, authorities said

Good Samaritans, among them reportedly a cleaning crew, helped in the rescue of a woman amid a deadly California fire on Thursday.

Orange County Fire Authority said in a Facebook post that the fire broke out at an apartment complex on the 5700 block of Playa Way in Cypress.

The agency said firefighters responded to a blaze around 9:18 a.m. local time that involved trapped people. Upon their arrival, crews encountered an injured woman.

“The injured woman was rescued by two women prior to firefighters arriving,” the OCFA wrote in the post. “The two seeing the front door area well-involved in fire quickly broke out a window, freeing the woman yelling for help. Unfortunately, a second person inside the home was found deceased.”

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Although police have not released the name of the deceased, neighbors told KABC he was a man in his 70s named Jerry, while the woman who was saved is reportedly his stepdaughter, Lori. PEOPLE has reached out to the OCFA for additional information about the fire and rescue.

OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen told local NBC affiliate KNBC that “the front door area was totally engulfed with fire, and there was no way to escape that way.”

According to local ABC affiliate KABC, the trapped woman was screaming for help when the cleaning crew came to her aid. Fire personnel credited them for their heroics. 

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Phil Johnson, a neighbor who took part in the rescue, told KNBC, "At first it seemed like [the fire extinguisher] was doing something. Then in a minute, it was — the flames just came right back."

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Johnson also told KABC about the cleaning crew's role in rescuing the woman.

Related: 2 Children Dead, 5 Other People Critically Injured After Fire Tears Through Minnesota Home

"About four cleaning ladies come from this way and they're like, 'Oh my God. We gotta do something,' " Johnson said. "So I was still trying to figure out a way to help Jerry, they came over here with their brooms and broke the window and got her out."

He added, "In my opinion it was the cleaning crew ladies that saved her life."

OCFA officials said the injured woman was taken to a hospital, CBS affiliate KCAL reported, which added that the origin of the fire was accidental, according to investigators. 

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