BLAZE PROMPTS QUICK ACTION EDUCATORS RUSH TO RESCUE WHEN FIRE BREAKS OUT.Byline: Amy Raisin raisin, in botany and cooking raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Darvish Staff Writer NEWHALL - When a teacher spotted flames and smoke coming from the window of a house across from Newhall Elementary this week, she and the school's principal ran to assist anyone who might be inside. After discovering thick, waist-high smoke while peering through one window, the women ran to a window on the other side of the house and found a mother and three small children inside. ``We pulled back the drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. and saw a woman and three little children,'' said Sue Harrison, acting principal at the Walnut Street A number of streets are named Walnut Street:
School officials were preparing for the daily influx of parents picking up their children at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday when teacher Nancy Tomei spotted the flames coming from the back residence of a two-house property. While another teacher dialed 911, Tomei and Harrison ran to the home and found a man and a woman - both residents of the burning house - trying to douse douse 1 also dowse v. doused also dowsed, dous·ing also dows·ing, dous·es also dows·es v.tr. 1. To plunge into liquid; immerse. See Synonyms at dip. 2. the flames with a garden hose. The woman outside was yelling yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. in Spanish to someone still inside. The fire had not reached the room in which the woman and three children were found, but Harrison said she didn't know if the flames were spreading across the home toward that room. Fire Chief James Crawford James Crawford may refer to
v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to one bedroom and burned a mattress, some paint, curtains and broke a window. The cause of the fire had not been determined, he said, but the blaze appeared to be accidental. Crawford estimated the cost of the damage at $5,000 - $3,500 for the structure and $1,500 for the contents - not as bad as it looked during the blaze, he said. But the quick-acting school staff didn't know that at the time. ``It was just automatic,'' Harrison said. ``You don't even think. You just do it.'' No one was hurt in the incident. As fire trucks arrived another teacher brought the woman and three children inside the school's office, comforting the mother and finding snacks for the children. The mother spoke only Spanish and was having a hard time communicating with the staff. A young bilingual bi·lin·gual adj. 1. a. Using or able to use two languages, especially with equal or nearly equal fluency. b. student who noticed what was happening offered to translate. ``This young girl came up and started to translate for the woman,'' Harrison said. ``She was very calm, very comforting. I was impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: . You know, we really do have a very helpful, supportive group of people at our school.'' Amy Raisin Darvish, (661) 257-5254 amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Newhall Elementary teacher Nancy Abruzzo, teacher Nancy Tomei and acting Principal Sue Harrison, from left, were at school Thursday when they spotted a fire at the house next door. Tomei and Harrison ran over, pulled three children from the home and helped their mother. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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