SEATTLE — Officers with the Seattle Police Department helped pull a man away from a burning RV early Thursday morning in the Georgetown neighborhood during the latest snowstorm.
Shortly before 4 a.m., patrol officers saw smoke coming from an RV parked near Airport Way S and S Albro Place.
As they approached the RV, a man and woman were seen trying to help the RV’s resident who had caught fire beside the vehicle. Officers were able to use a fire extinguisher to put the flames out and pull the man to safety.
From body camera footage of the incident, officers are seen pulling the man through the snow to safety just as the RV becomes fully engulfed.
The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center by the Seattle Fire Department (SFD). He was treated for serious burns to his hands, head and body. An officer suffered a minor burn to his hand and was treated at the scene.
While the cause of the fire hasn’t been confirmed, police say the fire may have been caused by a heater.
Seattle has seen overnight lows far below freezing since Christmas as arctic air and snow have pressed into the region.
As the weather impacted roads and air travel, Seattle opened emergency warming shelters for those looking to escape the winter storm.
SFD also released fire safety tips for the home ahead of the winter months.
The following are some tips SFD has for space heaters:
- Plug heaters directly into the wall and not into an extension cord or power strip.
- Make sure the heater is at least 3 feet away from anything that is combustible.
- Keep children and pets at least a few feet away from heaters since they can cause burns.
Also, be sure that all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.