Fire Department Honors Burbank Man

Scott Rowan was honored Wednesday for saving the life of an elderly man trapped last December in a burning building in Valley Village.

In a small ceremony at Van Nuys Fire Station 102, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Rod Wilmot awarded Rowan a special recognition certificate and said his rescue was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen.

“What Scott did was truly an act of heroism,” Wilmot said. “The man went in with no equipment, no face mask and was able to pull that man out of the fire. I was there and I can still hardly believe it.”

Rowan was cleaning a pool next door as smoke and flames poured from a house in the 13000 block of Hartsook Street in Valley Village. A 14-year-old girl who escaped the fire ran over to Rowan and said that a man was still inside.

“I just ran over and started crawling on my knees once I got in the house. I couldn’t see anything and it was hard to breathe, but I would want someone to try and save me if I were in trouble,” said the 31-year-old Burbank father of five.

After yelling “Is anyone in here?” several times, Rowan said he finally heard a man answer, saying he was unable to move.

“So I just told him to keep talking until I could get to him. Once I found him, I picked him up and dragged him out of the building.”

Also attending Wednesday’s ceremony was Rowan’s wife, Michelle, who said she didn’t expect anything less from her husband.

“I’m glad he was there. I wouldn’t have talked to him if I found out he just stood there,” she said.

Rowan was treated for minor smoke inhalation, but suffered no serious injuries. The fire destroyed the front half of the building and both men could have died, Wilmot said. Last December four elderly people died in building fires in Los Angeles.