Off duty Massachusetts Firefighter rescues disabled elderly man from burning home

A man owes a Massachusetts firefighter his life after heroic acts that took place this morning.

According to the Kingston Fire Department, at approximately 2:00 a.m. this morning, the department was notified of a house fire with a person trapped inside.

Prior to the on duty staff responding, Kingston Call Firefighter Chris Veracka was alerted by his neighbor of the fire. According to officials, Chris immediately ran to the house and entered the home, located a fire in the bedroom and found a disabled elderly man on the floor. Veracka was able to carry the occupant out of the house to safety.

Veracka encountered heavy smoke and numerous obstacles during his heroic rescue.

In addition to the rescue, Veracka was also able to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire and prevent more significant damage to the home.

A statement from the Kingston Firefighters Local 2337 shows just how proud they are of their brother firefighter.

“Chris went above and beyond the call of duty. Had Chris not made the decision to enter the home there is no doubt the outcome would have been significantly different. The Kingston Firefighters commend Chris for his actions and are thankful he is a dedicated member of our fire department and community.”

All other family members living at the residence were able to exit the home after being alerted to the fire by a smoke detector.

Three people were transported to the BI Plymouth with minor smoke inhalation: two by KFD Ambulance and a third by Duxbury FD Ambulance. Duxbury also provided and Engine to assist at the fire scene. Plymouth FD provided an Engine to cover the empty Kingston stations which responded to subsequent calls while KFD units were tied up.