Brex L. Owen rescued Troy C. Daugherty from burning, Bakersfield, California, February 10, 1991. Daugherty, 65, was at home when fire broke out in his living room and spread to other rooms of the one-story house. Owen, 28, house painter, who lived next door, was alerted to the fire. He ran to the burning house, kicked in the front door, and saw Daugherty, who was aflame, lying on the living room floor. Although the walls and ceiling of the living room were burning and heat in that room was blistering, Owen entered the house, ran to Daugherty, and extinguished the flames on him with a towel. Owen then lifted Daugherty and carried him toward the door but had to put him down before reaching it, as breathing had become difficult in the increasingly dense smoke. Owen then dragged Daugherty outside, just moments before the living room became engulfed in flame. Daugherty sustained serious burns and died later that day. Owen required hospital treatment for a second-degree burn to his right shoulder and less serious burns to his chest, back, and feet. He recovered.
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