Otter Lake cabin conflagration brings out the best in JBER Airmen

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Zachary Wolf
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Flames spread on the floor and start climbing up the walls. Everyone inside is asleep, unaware of the danger that they are in. A dog barks and scratches the bed in the back room where a pregnant woman and another mother sleep by their children. They wake up to a horrible realization -- the fire has spread and they are trapped in the back room.
A group of friends of the 673d Force Support Squadron decided to rent cabins at Otter Lake for a family event, to relax after a long week at the dining facility that was busy due to Red Flag-Alaska.

Luckily two Airmen were awake and noticed a glow coming from a cabin. Tech. Sgt. Daniel Park, 176th Force Support Flight shift supervisor, and Senior Airman Gary Heath, 673 FSS storeroom operations technician, had stayed up around the bonfire while all the other families went back to their cabins to get some sleep.

"I saw a glow and I just knew something was out of place," Park, said.

When they got closer, they knew what that glow was and went to action.

They bashed in the front door and went in; the fire flared.

They pulled Staff Sgt. Kevin Warren, 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, from the front room; he had been trying to get through to the back room where his wife and daughter were.

"We couldn't get past the fire to the door that separated the two rooms so we both left the cabin and went to other cabins to find fire extinguishers," Park said.

After an unsuccessful search for the extinguishers, Heath and Park ran back to the cabin that was on fire and tried the side windows. Giving up, Heath ran around back where the window was open and the children had already been lowered to the ground. Kat Warren was the last one in the cabin but the window wouldn't accommodate her pregnant belly.
Park pulled the window back forcing it to open wider as Heath helped Mrs. Warren, the pregnant mother, out the window.

"I talked to Kat and she said as I was pulling her out, the fire was already hitting her feet," Heath said.

While Kat was being pulled to safety, another Airman noticed the fire.

Senior Airman Nathan Bonner, 673 FSS fitness specialist, woke up to screams.

"I heard Kevin screaming after they (Heath and Park) pulled him out and that's when I got up and realized something was wrong," Bonner said. "I heard him screaming his wife and daughter's name over and over again and I didn't even hesitate; I didn't even put a shirt or shoes on, ran right to the front door through the fire to the back room to make sure everyone was out."

After Bonner got out of the house, he called 911 while Heath attempted to use a fire extinguisher to quench the flames, but had no effect.

Emergency personnel were already on the way when Bonner called.

"I knew who was in there, it's a human life, I would have done it for anyone; burnt feet is better than having someone dying in a fire," Bonner said.

No one was seriously injured in the fire but Trooper, the dog, that initially warned the campers in the back room, didn't make it.

Bonner said that the only thing he regretted while he ran into the burning cabin
was that he didn't look under the bed for Trooper.

"It's funny how it happened because none of us were planning on going in," Bonner said. "We all decided to go last minute. If we hadn't gone, it could have ended up completely different; it could have ended up a lot worse."

Park, Heath and Bonner shared the same sentiments in explaining why they did this.
"You weren't really in fear for yourself at all; it was fear for everyone else's life," Heath said.

This wasn't the first fire Heath has run into to save a life. During his deployment from 2011 to 2012, Heath ran into a burning building to save the life of a civilian.

"To be honest, you are not thinking it at the time, but it would be way worse to realize that you didn't do something when you could," Heath said.

All three Airmen had singed hair, but otherwise were unharmed.

"It's your character; it's who you are, when it happens," Heath said. "You don't think 'Hey this is something I am going to do or this is something I'm not; you either do it or you don't. You won't know if you are that type of person until you are in that situation."

That type of person is one their commander is proud of.

"Our Airmen embody the Air Force core value of 'service before self' and demonstrated their heroism in helping to save these members' lives," said Air Force Capt. Heather Simone, 673d Force Support Squadron sustainment services flight commander. "I definitely applaud their efforts and it is no surprise they acted in such a manner; they are exemplary Airmen and I'm proud to serve with them."

All three Airmen agreed the incident has brought them closer together.

"It's a bonding experience to know that you are surrounded by people that would do the same good deed you would," Heath said.

"It was more the realization that we all put others before ourselves, and share that character; that is what brought us closer," Park added.