Fredericksburg Officers Pull Woman From Smoke-Filled Home in Dramatic Body-Cam Rescue

Two Fredericksburg police officers rushed into a burning, smoke-filled home on Tuesday afternoon and pulled a woman to safety. Body-camera video released by the department this week shows how it happened.

What happened

Fredericksburg's 911 center received a call on Nov. 3 reporting a structure fire in the 200 block of Hillcrest Drive, police said. Responding officers were told a woman was still trapped inside. Officers Dylan Smith and D.V. Lawrence arrived shortly afterward and went in right away.

Video from the department shows the officers moving through heavy smoke with flashlights, searching for her. In the footage, a man urges the officers to get his wife. They find the woman toward the back of the house and pull her out by her arms.

Who was inside and how they're doing

Fire Chief Mike Jones told The Free Lance-Star that three or four people were at the home when the fire broke out, and everyone got out. According to the FXBG Advance's summary of that report, the fire started on the lower level while the woman, who uses a wheelchair, was upstairs, where smoke was filling the space quickly.

The woman and an adult man who also lived there were treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. Both officers were treated for smoke inhalation too. No serious injuries were reported.

The department's response

In a statement, the Fredericksburg Police Department said it recognizes the courage and quick actions of Officers Smith and Lawrence, whose efforts helped bring a resident to safety under extremely dangerous circumstances. Police also thanked the Fredericksburg Fire Department and mutual aid partners for their response.

What we still don't know

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and no update on the residents' conditions has been released. We'll update this story if officials share more.

Sources: Fredericksburg Police Department statement (as published by Statter911); FOX 5 DC; DC News Now; FXBG Advance (summarizing The Free Lance-Star).