San Bernardino, CA, Firefighters Save Woman Trapped in Burning House

Feb. 6, 2025
San Bernardino Capt. Nic Turner and Firefighter Jesse Quicen told the bedridden woman they wouldn't let her go.

They couldn't wait for backup.

San Bernardino firefighters had to go in upon learning a young woman was trapped in a burning home. 

"The mother of the victim was screaming frantically that her daughter is inside still. I have two children of my own so there was definitely a sense of urgency," Firefighter Jesse Quicen told a CBS reporter.

He grabbed Capt. Nic Turner, and they rushed into the flames.

"We're crawling down the hallway with smoke to the floor. Zero visibility. My hands were getting stuck to things, cause stuff was melting around me," Turner said, adding that they heard a hushed moan. 

"I move over and found the victim lying in the bed. I grabbed her and told her, 'I got you and I'm not gonna let you go,'" the captain said.

By the time they grabbed her, other firefighters were learning about the rescue operation underway. On the other side of the wall were San Bernardino County Fire Captain Greg Soria and his crew.

"A lot of times we know somebody is inside, but we won't know exactly where. In this case we did know," Soria said. 

Using guidance from the woman's mother, who pointed them to the window of her daughter's room, they began to smash the glass and provide an easy exit route for the two firefighters.

The woman, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was transported to a hospital for treatment. 

Firefighters also save a dog during the operation. 

 

 

About the Author

Susan Nicol | News Editor

Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.