Glen Eugene Cline attempted to rescue Harry H. Johnson from burning, Bloomfield, Ohio, November 17, 1961. Johnson, 60, garage operator, whose clothing had become saturated with gasoline while working beneath an automobile, went to turn off a gas heating stove in the rear of the garage. Flames suddenly enveloped him, ignited the wall, and began to spread throughout the building. Johnson ran from the garage, his clothing in flames. Cline, 34, machine operator, overtook him 40 feet from the building and told him to lie down, which he did. Flames on his clothing ranged from four inches high at his neck to four feet high at his ankles. Heat was intense, and the smoke was dense and nauseous. Keeping his face turned away from the higher flames as best he could, Cline tore off much of Johnson’s attire, sustaining severe burns to his hands and face. Johnson then rose and ran 20 feet farther before Cline again overtook him. Cline sustained additional burns as he removed all of the rest of Johnson’s burning attire except his shoes. By then the garage was filled with flames. Fearing an explosion of underground gasoline storage tanks in front of the garage, Cline aided Johnson to a safe distance away. The garage was totally destroyed. Johnson had suffered severe burns and fatal respiratory damage. Cline, who had sustained extensive burns and heat irritation to his entire respiratory system, recovered in 10 weeks.
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