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Last updated on Friday, March 29, 2013
(BEDFORD) - Firefighters pulled a man from a burning home early this morning.
According to Bedford Battalion Chief John Dixon the man was found just inside the front door.
"When the first units arrived on the scene a neighbor approached them and told them there was a man inside," Dixon says.
The name of the man is not being released by firefighters at this time.
The neighbor noticed the fire and called it in at 12:04 a.m. Smoke was coming out the eves of the home in the 1800 block of F Street. The home is owned by Audi Baer and was being rented by the man.
"He attempted to knock on the door and wake the resident," Dixon says. "He got no response and then attempted to enter the home but the door was locked."
That is when firefighters Jay Faubion and Bruce Deckard used an axe and entered the home.
"There was heavy smoke from the ceiling to the floor and they could see flames," Dixon says. "Firefighter Faubion crawled in and saw the man's arm extending toward the door. Jay grabbed the man and dragged him toward the porch and that is when firefighter Deckard helped him get him onto the porch and then into the yard where they began giving the man first aid."
The man was unresponsive, Dixon says.
"He was not verbally communicating with firefighters and became slightly combative," Dixon says. "At that point an IU Health Bedford Hospital ambulance arrived and took over treating and transporting the man to the hospital."
In the meantime firefighters entered the home and extinguished the fire that was in the front room.
"The carpet and a mattress was on fire," Dixon says. "Firefighters pulled up the carpet and drug out the mattress and put the fire out quickly."
Dixon says the man had been smoking and believes he fell asleep causing the fire.
"There were several cigarette buds around the mattress and on the carpet," Dixon says.
Dixon says if it was not for the fast action of the neighbor and firefighters the man probably would not have survived.
"We have to give the quick action of the neighbor and firefighters at the scene for saving this man's life," Dixon says. "They all did a fantastic job. This man is lucky, this could have turned out differently if not for these men."
Firefighters were on the scene for almost 2 hours.
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