Uber driver saved residents of a burning building in Brooklyn: he saw a fire passing by
'20.08.2022'
Olga Derkach
Uber driver Fritz Sam has been hailed as a hero by the company's CEO after he helped evacuate residents from a burning building in New York City. Writes about it CNN.
Sam was driving passenger Jemima Way through Brooklyn to the airport around 08:00 on August 17 when they came across a burning four-story house on Classon Avenue.
Sam said he saw the flames coming out of the window of the second-floor apartment, but didn't see any of the firefighters at the scene, so he felt compelled to help. With the permission of his passenger, Sam parked the car and ran towards the fire.
Wei soon followed him, and along with the other neighbors, they started yelling "fire" to wake up the sleeping residents who were still in the building. When Sam asked the neighbors if anyone else was in the building, he didn't get a definitive answer, so without thinking, he ran back into the building to see if anyone was left.
At this point, the fire was still contained in the apartment on the second floor, so that Sam was able to move around the building with the intention of evacuating all the remaining residents before the fire intensified.
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He found the woman on the second floor and the man on the first floor, after which he escorted them to safety.
According to Sam and Wei, firefighters arrived shortly after the last occupant had left the building. Sam reassured the residents and made sure they were all right before returning to his car to finish the trip he had begun.
The day also had a happy ending for Wei, who praised Sam on Twitter.
“This morning, on my way to the airport, passing by a burning building, my Uber driver jumped out of the car and ran into the building, while the rest shouted at the top of their lungs for people to evacuate. When the firefighters arrived, we hurried to the airport and I flew out,” Wei wrote on Twitter.
on the way to the airport this morning and drove by a burning building, my Uber driver LEAPT out of the car and INTO the building while the rest of us screamed at the top of our lungs for people to evacuate, the fire truck came, we rushed to the airport, I made my flight. NEW YORK. pic.twitter.com/YLglNDVUn7
— Jemimah James Wei / 魏信子 (@jemmawei) August 17, 2022
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also acknowledged Sam's heroism on Twitter.
“I talked to this hero. It was he who was not afraid to break into the building,” Khosrowshahi stated.
I spoke to this @Uber hero - he was thankful that someone helped move his car - all the while he was the one who ran into the building! And he made sure to get to the flight on time. People are good indeed??. https://t.co/wIqFEddcfU
- dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) August 17, 2022
Sam, a longtime Brooklyn resident and father of two, said he has been with Uber since 2015.
He is glad that Wei made it to the plane safely and was able to take off.
Authorities said no one was injured in the fire and an investigation is underway.
