In Glendale, Armenian brothers entered a burning nursing home and rescued six elderly people.
20-year-old Alex Bazinyan and his 15-year-old brother, Narek, live near a care facility for the elderly on Mountain Street. The fire broke out on Friday at approximately 4:45 p.m. local time. When Alex saw a nurse running outside and calling for help, he realized people were trapped inside.
At first, Narek tried to extinguish the fire with a hose, but the flames intensified rapidly, and the cries for help grew louder. That was when the brothers decided to enter the burning building.
Alex noted that there were eight people inside, including two nurses. They were trying to get the elderly residents out but were unable to manage the evacuation on their own.
"I walk into the large room and see all these elderly people on the floor; some had catheters. Some were injured—there was blood on their legs. We just carried everyone out, one by one," Alex told the TV station KTLA. Two more neighbors rushed to the brothers' aid. As a result, they managed to get all six elderly individuals out onto the street before firefighters arrived. Alex recounted hearing the sound of an explosion immediately after bringing out the last person.
"I looked around and saw the flames rising and moving toward me. I was trying to get everyone out as quickly as possible. There was smoke everywhere, so I could barely see a thing," Narek said.
The Glendale Fire Chief stated that the explosion was likely caused by an oxygen tank, which led to the partial collapse of the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze before it could spread to neighboring homes. Seven people sustained minor injuries.
The brothers described their actions as a natural response to the situation.
"When you see people in need of help, you just want to help them." "We didn't even think about who they were. We have a very close-knit community here," said Alex.
