Emil J. Miller died as the result of attempting to rescue E. Claude Rorabaugh from burning, Auburn, California, August 24, 1969. In a one-story frame dwelling fire broke out in a bedroom occupied by Rorabaugh, 70, who was blind. Miller, 76, retired master mechanic, was in the living room and heard a crash followed by screams. Opening the door of the bedroom, he saw beneath dense smoke that Rorabaugh, his clothing afire, was lying on the floor amid flames. Conditions worsened as Miller crawled to Rorabaugh, who had stopped screaming, and attempted in vain to pull him toward the door. Miller, his clothing also afire, got to his feet and ran into an adjoining room, choking from the hot smoke. A minor explosion then occurred. Miller fell to the floor, struck his head, and lost consciousness briefly. With his clothing still afire, Miller crawled from the house and rolled on the ground to put out the flames. Rorabaugh died in the burning dwelling. Miller was removed to a hospital, where he died four days later.
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