PASADENA, Calif. (KTLA) – An off-duty fire captain in California was on his way to the NFC Championship game on Sunday when he spotted smoke coming from a home and jumped into action.
Cpt. William Basulto of the Pasadena Fire Department says he always dreamed of taking his dad and his son to a Los Angeles Rams game. And so, dressed in their lucky Rams attire, the trio loaded up their vehicle for tailgating and headed toward SoFi Stadium.
But while en route, Basulto’s dad noticed heavy smoke coming from a home in East Los Angeles.
The fire captain pulled over and quickly ran to the house, where he was told a woman in her 50s was trapped on an upper floor that was quickly filling with smoke.
Basulto instructed neighbors to get a ladder and call 911, and told them where to direct their garden hoses.
He was able to rescue the woman and her dog from the second story as fire personnel were arriving on-scene. Basulto gave the firefighters an update on the incident and helped them set-up their hoses to extinguish the fire.
“Los Angeles County Fire personnel on-scene praised him for saving the victim’s life in a home that had significant pack-rat conditions,” a city of Pasadena spokesperson said in a news release.
The woman, identified as 56-year-old Blanca, suffered smoke inhalation and is recovering in the hospital. Two of her three dogs perished in the fire and the home is completely gutted.
A GoFundMe was set up by her daughter, Samantha Gonzalez, to help rebuild their home.
“Thank you so so much for saving my mom,” Golzalez told Cpt. Basulto. “I don’t know what I would have done. She’s me entire world.”
After the rescue, Basulto returned home to clean up — and to clean off his beloved blue and yellow Rams sneakers — and then headed to the game.
“Fire rescues, medical responses and leading a crew are what he’s been doing for 20 years so he’s very modest about the recognition,” the news release states. “But seeing the Rams win alongside his dad and son is something he’ll never forget.”