When your house catches on fire, it helps to have a the fire chief of a local fire department as a neighbor, as one woman found out Saturday morning.
Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Chief Markus Fritts was driving by 1500 N Winer Drive when he saw heavy black smoke coming from his neighbors home at 10 a.m. He immediately called dispatch and when Hamilton County Sheriff's Office personnel were the first to arrive.
Together with Fritts, the responders were able to rescue a 69-year-old woman who was in her bedroom and surrounded by heavy smoke and fire.
The Dallas Bay VFD arrived shortly after and extinguished the fire, but the woman sustained critical injuries and was transported to Erlanger Medical Center by Hamilton County EMS.
Fire officials reported $20,000 in damages and Fritts reported the fire started in the bedroom, but the cause is under investigation.