Officials in Las Vegas are describing a homeless man as a “true hero” after he saved two young children from an apartment fire.
Anival Angula, 36, was walking by the building on Friday afternoon when he noticed smoke, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue wrote on Facebook. Angula then heard two children crying and jumped over a locked gate into the complex to find a little girl standing near the steel security door to the smoke-filled apartment.
The girl could not open the open the door, so Angula lifted it until the dead-bolt lock unlatched and the door opened. The little girl then ran to him and warpped her arms around his waist.
Angula could also see the leg of an infant on the floor through the smoke, so he then pulled the infant out.
Both children, ages 3 and 10 months, were taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. There were no other reported injuries.
“Without the quick action of Angulo, the children would have probably suffered severe smoke inhalation with burns. His action certainly saved the children’s life,” fire officials said.
Two small children, 10 mons & 3 yrs were rescued from a burning apt by a homeless man who jumped a locked gate, then pulled a dead-bolt locked security door open to safety. Both kids will be okay. The man is a TRUE HERO. pic.twitter.com/jImwAklmcB
— Las Vegas FireRescue (@LasVegasFD) December 1, 2017
The cause of the fire was determined to be a pan on the stove and cooking grease, according to officials. It was ruled accidental.
The children’s grandfather, who was watching them, was in a back bedroom when the fire started.
The fire destroyed the apartment’s kitchen and living room and caused minor damage to the unit next door, firefighters said. The total cost to repair the damage is an estimated $50,000.
The American Red Cross is providing assistance to at least four people who were displaced by the fire.
(H/T: KXXV)