Good Samaritan helps save West Linn grandmother from burning house

Published: Mar. 22, 2023 at 9:50 PM PDT

WEST LINN Ore. (KPTV) - A West Linn family reunited Wednesday with the firefighters and a passerby who helped them safely escape their burning house in February.

Firefighters with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said Kai Brown was inside his house on the night of Feb. 26 when he spotted a flickering orange glow. He called 911 and warned his grandmother, Jennie Brown, to get out of the house.

“I got to the top of the stairs and I tried to breathe in but it hurt really bad,” Kai said. “I tried to help her down the stairs but she ended up falling.”

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Jennie slipped and fell while trying to escape and was unable to get back up.

A passerby, Ronnie Coulam, happened to see the smoke and ran into the burning home. Coulam pulled the injured grandmother to the door, where arriving firefighters were able to pick her up and carry her away from the house.

“This angel came out of nowhere and just swooped me up and I was out the door like that,” Jennie said.

Then, firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.