Kyle Christensen helped to rescue Paul E. Phillips from burning, Roy, Utah, January 11, 2014. Phillips, 50, was in the basement of his family’s one-story house after a fire broke out there. On duty nearby, Christensen, 30, police officer, responded to the scene, where he saw smoke issuing from the house and heard ammunition that was stored in the basement going off. Told that Phillips was in the basement, Christensen entered the house through a side door but had to exit because of dense smoke. Re-entering, he found himself at the top of the stairs extending to the basement. Christensen went to his knees, looked into the basement, and saw Phillips lying on the floor at the base of the stairs, flames nearby. Despite intense heat in the stairway that singed his hair, Christensen slid down the stairs in a seated position and grasped Phillips underneath the arms. He then pulled himself backward, dragging Phillips, up the stairs. Another officer who had responded to the scene entered the house and helped Christensen carry Phillips outside to safety. Flames spread quickly, soon filling and destroying the structure. Phillips required hospital treatment for burns, and Christensen was treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation. He recovered.
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