Clay, NY -- Onondaga sheriff’s deputies used a borrowed ladder to save four people from a burning home in Clay Friday night. “Firefighters tell us if they had not done that, then this would have been a fatal fire,” said Undersheriff Warren Darby, who was at the scene of the fire at 37 Bayberry Circle. The fire was called into...
Clay, NY -- Onondaga sheriff’s deputies used a borrowed ladder to save four people from a burning home in Clay Friday night.
“Firefighters tell us if they had not done that, then this would have been a fatal fire,” said Undersheriff Warren Darby, who was at the scene of the fire at 37 Bayberry Circle.
The fire was called into emergency dispatchers at 11:22 p.m. Deputies on patrol in the area got there first, Darby said, and found the first floor of the two-story home already engulfed in flames with people trapped on the second floor.
They went to a neighbors, borrowed an aluminum extension ladder and put it up to a window on the second floor, rescuing first Matthew Poon, who had burns to his upper body, then Poon’s mother Catherine Poon, sister Scarlet Poon and a cousin, Amy Chei.
Deputy Michael Doupe was at the top of the ladder, with Deputy Timothy Hahn next to him and Deputy Timothy Kelly remained on the ground holding the ladder, Darby said.
The residents and three of the deputies were taken to Upstate University Hospital. All suffered smoke inhalation. Matthew Poon was also being treated for burns. Deputy Robert Bell was injured while trying to bring the ladder to the house. He was being treated for an injury to his shoulder, Darby said.
Firefighters from Moyers Corners and Liverpool remained at the scene and investigators had not yet determined a cause for the fire.
“We are proud to have that level of work force for us protecting the community,” Darby said standing amid the flashing lights of the still smoky scene early Saturday morning.