WAUSAU (WAOW) - A father and daughter are being credited for saving
everyone inside a recent apartment fire that happened in Wausau on Sunday.
When Geralyn Granger came home on Sunday night, she saw
flames and smoke pouring out of the Tamarack Apartments.
"All you could really see was smoke, and you could smell
the smoke, and it was a bright light where the fire was coming through the
wall," said Geralyn Granger.
Granger lives next door to the burning building. When she
saw the flames, she ran to get her father.
"I was scared," said Granger.
While she dialed 911, her father went to help.
"As I was walking up the stairs, debris was falling on the
steps, and I kept hammering on the doors until everyone got out," said Gary
Granger.
"I was watching him--and then things were falling, I got
really scared," Granger said.
Fire officials say Geralyn Granger was in the right place
at the right time.
"If it was five minutes later, and no one saw it, I don't
think people would have been able to get out safely," said Geralyn Granger.
If it wasn't for Gary Granger knocking on doors, alerting
residents of the fire, firefighters say things could have been a lot worse.
"It was cooking so hot inside, things just started falling
apart," said Gary Granger.
"Within one minute, the whole hallway filled with fire, so
we got out right in time," said Geralyn Granger.
Everyone made it out safely. Wausau fire officials say
that's thanks to the help of Gary Granger and his daughter.
"Just knowing that we could help those people, that makes
me feel better than anything," said Gary Granger.
Gary Granger says he'd do it all again.
"In a heartbeat," said Gary Granger.
But hero isn't a word you'll hear them use.
Fire officials did rule that fire accidental. It caused
more than $300,000 in damage.
