San Fernando Valley : Youths to Be Honored for Putting Out Fire
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick and Los Angeles Fire Chief William Bamattre will honor three West Hills teenagers today who extinguished a house fire last November before the Fire Department arrived.
Doug Marihart, Nick Teslik and Phillip Rothchilds saw smoke coming from the second-floor window of a house on Brairstone Lane in West Hills on Nov. 28 and entered the empty residence, using a fire extinguisher to douse the flames, fire officials said.
The youths will be presented with certificates for their heroism from the City Council and the Fire Department, said Eric Rose, a spokesman for Chick. One certificate commends the youths for “their quick thinking and fast-moving actions,” and says the three “demonstrated a selfless and heroic act to help fellow citizens in a heroic deed.”
“Running into a burning building is a heroic deed,” Fire Capt. Dave Ruff said. “Normal people don’t do that.”
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