Trapped Durham, NC, Firefighter Says it Felt Like Devil was Grabbing His Legs

Durham Firefighter Donald Dixon had only one thought when he became trapped in a house fire last week: "I've got to get out. If I don't, I'm going to die."

"You always picture the devil as fire. It felt like it. It felt like he had a hold of me, was grabbing at my legs," he recalled while speaking with a WRAL reporter. 

"Sheet rock had fallen from the ceiling and blocked our exit way."

That's when the battle went from fighting the fire to fighting to survive. 

Dixon remembers one of his fellow firefighters dragging him out of the house. He suffered second-degree burns and is now home recuperating. 

The firefighter trapped with him also is recovering. 

Dixon remembered the words of former North Carolina State Men's Basketball Coach Jim Volvano: 'Don't give up. Don't ever give up.'

;...That's what I did. I didn't give up. If I'd have given up, I wouldn't be here."

The gear he and his colleague were wearing is severly charred.

"Anybody that has looked at my gear, can't believe somebody survived it," Dixon said.

But they did.