Engine 11 was first on the scene, and when a member of the crew came out of the home carrying a 5-foot-9, 68-pound person covered in soot, Stoeckert assumed he was a young teenager.
“Over my 37-year career, we’ve had plenty of arson fires, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard that someone lit a fire to be rescued from their confinement,” Stoeckert says.
“To start a fire in a room that small (8’x9’), just hoping that we were going to get there in time to get him out – that …” he takes a long pause, “It’s a different feeling.”
I hope that covers the hospital stay and that he doesn’t become homeless after this.
There will likely be a massive lawsuit against the state and possibly the police force involved … which he should win.
My wish is that he can surround himself with some of those good people to help him on his way.
Hopefully he can go after his step-mother and her family. There’s zero chance multiple people weren’t aware of this and they must be held accountable.