By Jon Schoenheider
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AMHERST, New Hampshire (WMUR) — An Amherst woman is safe, thanks to the bravery of two neighbors who ran into her burning home to rescue her Friday night.
The Amherst Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched at 8:01 p.m. Friday to Eastern Avenue. When they got to the scene, a barn fire extended to the house next to it, and they couldn’t tell if it was attached or not. The barn was destroyed, and the home had significant damage to both the inside and the outside of the structure.
Artem Kozlov, who has lived next door for several months, was outside on his porch cleaning his dog when he turned around and saw towering flames behind him through the trees. After seeing lights on inside the house, and knowing someone lived there, he decided to take action.
“I immediately called 911 with my friend and ran to Tom’s house,” he said.
Tom Hansis has lived across the street from the trailer home for more than 30 years and knows the woman who lives there. He was also in the backyard with his dog when Artem got to his house, banging on the front door to get someone’s attention. That’s when the two decided to conduct their rescue mission, aware that the woman inside was unable to walk.
As the fire spread, Hansis knew time was of the essence.
“I told (Artem), ‘We’ve got three minutes to get her out of here,'” he said, “‘so, let’s go.'”
When the two of them got to the unlocked front door, they found the woman sitting in her living room, apparently unaware that her home was on fire.
The two picked her up and carried her out to the front yard, where a crowd had started to form. The Amherst Fire Department confirmed the woman was outside the trailer by the time they arrived on scene.
That’s when Hansis made a decision to try to save more lives.
“I looked right at (her) and said, ‘There’s nobody else in the house, right?’ She said, ‘Just two cats,'” he said. “That’s when I went back in.”
Another neighbor who spoke to News 9 on background, Tammy LaForest, said both of the cats died at the scene, and that she had possession of their bodies.
When asked what drove them to take on such an act of bravery, Hansis denied that his actions were heroic.
“If that ever happened to my wife? I mean, I would hope somebody did the same thing,” he said with a laugh.
As for Artem, despite all that she’s lost, he’s just glad his neighbor is safe thanks to everyone’s efforts.
“These people are amazing over here,” he said. “I’ve lived in the United States just for three years, and these people are amazing.”
Despite multiple requests for comment, the Amherst Fire Department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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