Acting on directions provided by a frantic family member, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crew pulled an invalid grandmother from a burning house in the 2100 block of Northwest 43rd Street. Wednesday afternoon.
The identity of the woman, who is in her 70s, was not released.
She was in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital Wednesday evening.
A second family member, who apparently suffered from smoke inhalation and fainted at the scene, also was transported to Jackson's Ryder Trauma Center, authorities said.
Responding within three minutes to a 2:10 p.m. emergency call, firefighters found smoke and fire pouring out of the house, said Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Eric Baum.
A family member told the first arriving unit, led by Lt. Shane Anderson, that a wheelchair-dependent relative was in a back room of the structure.
Anderson and his crew found the woman in a bed, semi-conscious.
Knowing exactly where to look saved valuable seconds, Baum said.
''Lt. Anderson told me there were incredibly heavy smoke conditions, zero visibility,'' Baum said.
''He said he went in there and had to hit the floor, it was that hot.
''This was almost a textbook case,'' he said. ''This is what you train for. You're told where the victim is, you go in, find that victim and pull her to safety.''
Five people, including two children, lived at the address, Baum said.
He didn't know how many were in the house when the fire broke out in, but all were later accounted for.
A pet bird perished, he said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it appeared to have started in the living room near an air conditioning unit, Baum said. The fire destroyed most of the structure even though firefighters brought it under control in just six minutes, Baum said.
The American Red Cross is providing shelter, food and clothing to the family, said Red Cross spokeswoman Erika Mayor.
Distributed by the Associated Press
