A fire broke out at an apartment building in Decatur, Georgia around 4:00 am on January 3rd.
45 firefighters responded to the 20 unit building, one side already completely engulfed.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue Capt. Eric Jackson had this to say, “Parents were literally dropping their children down to our firefighters and we were catching them, and that was before we put any water on the fire. Four children were dropped in the arms of firefighters from up to four floors.”
“We were catching babies like a football, literally, There were adults that were on the balcony that were dropping their babies right into our arms. We had a couple firefighters catching babies, so it was just really incredible.”
“We had fire burning on one end of the building and residents on the other end didn’t have a clue. So we were doing multiple things. We were catching babies, we were kicking in doors, letting folks know they needed to get out.”
Capt. Jackie Peckrul caught one of the children, an infant. "That was the only thing running through my mind. 'Lord, let me catch this baby.'"
There were a dozen minor injuries from the other 80 occupants of the building, most being smoke inhalation.
And one semi-serious injury.
The father, Lance Ragland, seen tossing the child, is a father of ten, including new-born twins. He carried three children to safety and went back in for the others. Then the stairs became impassable. He was already burned on his back and legs by the time the firemen got there. When the firefighters placed a ladder on his third floor balcony, he sent the children down one at a time until the fire was in their apartment and time was short.
He tossed down two children. All caught by waiting hands.
Then the fire was at the patio, blowing out the glass.
He had to make a move.
He, and the firefighters, saved his entire family of 12. All, but himself, uninjured.
The family lost everything...but each other.
Said Lance, “Failure is not an option. Failure is never an option when it comes to protecting family."