James John Vlacich

James John Vlacich rescued a woman from burning, Ridge, New York, January 20, 2022. The woman, 53, who had health-related mobility limitations, was on the floor between the living and dining rooms on the first floor of her home after a fire broke out in the living room in the early morning. Her neighbor, Vlacich, 51, a machinist, was getting ready for work when he noticed a bright light coming from across the street. Realizing they were flames, he called 911 before taking a fire extinguisher from his garage. He then moved to the home and found the woman’s roommate, who informed Vlacich that the woman was still inside. Vlacich approached the house and called out to the woman while attempting to extinguish flames coming from the front door and an adjacent window, but he was unsuccessful. Vlacich ran around the house and into the fenced backyard before climbing steps that led to an exterior sun porch door. Vlacich moved through the sun porch to an open sliding door leading to the kitchen, where he encountered heavy, black floor-to-ceiling smoke. Vlacich called out to the woman, who responded that she could not see anything. Vlacich used the extinguisher to briefly displace the smoke, which allowed him to locate the woman before the smoke again blocked his view. Vlacich again attempted to displace the smoke, but the extinguisher was empty, so he discarded it. Vlacich then attempted to move toward the woman, but smoke forced him back to the doorway. Vlacich transitioned to his hands and knees before lying flat on the ground. He then belly-crawled about 18 feet to the woman. Vlacich reached out, located the woman, grasped her by the ankles, and dragged her back to the kitchen doorway. Vlacich released her ankles, got to his knees, then cradled her before standing up and carrying her about 15 feet through the sun porch, and down stairs to the backyard, where he placed her on the ground before a neighbor arrived. The two carried the woman across the street. Moments later, emergency personnel arrived and transported the woman to the hospital. The woman was hospitalized with second and third-degree burns; she recovered. Vlacich was physically exhausted but did not require medical treatment.