SOUTH WALES, N.Y. — A 5-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were both injured after a fire broke out on Wednesday evening in South Wales.
Lt. Patrick Welch with East Aurora Police Department said that the residential fire started around 5:30 p.m. and prompted local fire crews to respond to the scene on Olean Road located between East Aurora and South Wales.
Upon arrival, they were able to extinguish the flames and found that two victims had been removed from the fire prior to fire crews arriving.
They soon learned that a third party who is being identified as a Good Samaritan removed one of the children from the scene.
“A Good Samaritan, if you will, at this point in the preliminary investigation stopped his car,” Welch said. “We believe he ran up the driveway and helped remove one of the children from this fire.”
According to Lt. Welch, the Good Samaritan is a 51-year-old man who was driving by the residence when he saw the smoke and commotion, and stopped to help.
The 11-year-old boy was in the home when it caught fire and was able to escape and get help, but the five year old girl was still inside. The Good Samaritan was able to enter the home and found the little girl inside a bathroom surrounded by smoke and fire and pulled her to safety.
Both children were taken to Oishei Children's Hospital. The 5-year-old girl is currently in critical, but stable condition, and the 11-year-old boy is in stable condition.
The Good Samaritan was taken to Erie County Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation. He has since been released.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but authorities say it started in a workshop garage area.
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