Pair of veterans hailed as heroes after saving woman from burning home

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Two local veterans helped save a woman’s life when her house caught fire in Burke County.

Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty visited the neighborhood on Wednesday, where he spoke with the veterans about their heroic actions.

When the flames broke out at the home just north of Valdese, there were explosions -- most likely from oxygen tanks inside the home. When firefighters got to the scene on John Berry Road, they could see flames shooting out of the windows.

Four different fire departments worked to bring the blaze under control.

Neighbor Thomas Frank heard screams for help and tried to reach his neighbor near the front door of the home.

Donnie Smart, who also lives nearby, was outside raking leaves when he heard the explosion. He said he immediately ran to the home.

Frank and Smart were able to get the woman inside out and to safety.

“I don’t think those people had more than 15 to 30 seconds more or they would’ve been trapped inside,” Smart said.

Smart, who was a Marine sergeant in Special Ops during the 1980s, said he didn’t think twice about helping out.

“We can all do better taking care of each other,” Smart said. “We can be more concerned.”

“Anybody who has a tiny bit of compassion in their life would have done the same thing,” Frank told Channel 9. “If I didn’t do anything, I couldn’t wake up in the morning.”

The woman who was inside the home was taken to the hospital to be checked out but should be OK. The American Red Cross is helping the woman.

The fire remains under investigation.

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