Firefighter Who Rescued Girl Hosts Birthday Party at Station

A firefighter who earlier this year refused to leave a burning house without rescuing an unconscious 7-year-old girl hosted a birthday party for her Tuesday at the South-Central fire station where he works.

Firefighter Tim Weurfel presented gifts to Tammy Smith, and she in turn presented him with a holiday card reading: “To my own special angel.”

Weurfel, 31, had pulled Tammy from a flaming, smoke-filled South-Central residence last September, but he was reluctant to take credit for the heroic feat.

The rescue was a team effort and something that any firefighter would have done in a similar situation, he said.

The September fire came at a time when Weurfel and his family were grappling with the recent loss of their stillborn baby girl.

At Fire Station 33, where Tammy’s party was held, Weurfel’s wife said that meeting the girl had been a healing experience for the Weurfel family.

“It gave us a little boost when we needed it,” Kimber Weurfel said.

Weurfel said that this year has been difficult for his family and other firefighters because of several deaths within the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

But seeing the outcome of their rescues brings a boost to morale, he said.

“These are the good things,” Weurfel said. “Getting to see a little girl celebrating her party at a fire station. These are the things that keep us going.”