By FireRescue1 Staff
PEORIA, Ariz. — A firefighter will receive the Medal of Valor at a White House ceremony for his brave rescue during a house fire.
ABC15 reported that fire engineer Stephen Gunn of Peoria Fire-Medical Department was called to a house fire that was caused by a home invasion and arson. Dispatchers told the crew there were people trapped inside.
“We were confronted by multiple bystanders and police officers saying that they could see someone inside the house lying on the floor but that they could not get to him,” Gunn said. “They told me if I was in for maybe 15-20 more seconds that I would’ve started feeling it on my skin.”
Gunn headed into the burning house through a busted window. Officials said that his skin was burning, his clothing was turning black and his helmet was melting while inside.
Gunn handed the victim over to his fire captain; he was treated for burns and continued his shift.
Gunn will receive the Medal of Valor at the White House.
“This whole experience has just been very humbling for me,” Gunn said. “If it was anyone of them that got off that truck first and were approached by those police officers, they would’ve done the same exact thing.”