Assisted Living Staffer Hailed As Hero For Rescuing Woman From Apartment Fire

An employee at an assisted living community in Wenatchee is being heralded as a hero for her actions to save a resident from a fire on Sunday evening.

Crews from the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department were dispatched to the blaze at the Christopher House in the 100 block of Cleveland Avenue at just before 6 p.m.

Fire Chief Brian Brett says firefighters arrived to find smoke billowing from a second story window of the five-story building and were met by staff member Kayla Houck, who'd risked her life to save a woman from the flames.

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"She followed protocol perfectly and secured the area to make sure everyone else was safe. She then went to floor two and saw black smoke coming out from behind a closed door, so she grabbed a fire extinguisher and opened the door. Then, with no visibility and nothing but black smoke in front of her, she advanced into the room and discharged the fire extinguisher. She then found the resident on their bed, pulled them onto the floor and dragged them out of the room and down the stairwell where she was met by firefighters."

The woman, who's described as being in her 50s, was transported to a local hospital where she was airlifted to an out-of-area hospital for treatment of burns.

Brett says the fire sparked when the woman, who uses a medical oxygen tank, was smoking in bed.

Damage to the living unit was minimal, including a cracked window from the heat of the flames and some sooting to its walls from smoke, but Brett says it's still inhabitable.

Brett says the Christopher House is a "target hazard" for the Fire Department due to its multi-story layout and vulnerable residents, most of whom have mental and/or medical challenges.