Firefighter Jamesley Giblin, a member of CAL FIRE’s Amador-El Dorado Unit’s Ponderosa Fire Crew 3, demonstrated his unwavering commitment to service even on his day off.
On the morning of September 29, Giblin encountered an active garage fire in the garage of Cohl Weissmann’s Cameron Park home in the Cameron Park neighborhood and intervened heroically, according to ABC10.
The fire alarm woke Weissmann and his brother up.
RELATED STORIES
“It started smoking, like going through the hallway. I started coughing. I yelled at my brother. He got up, started running,” Wiessmann told KCRA. “We ran out and we were half awake, so we were kind of like panicking.”
They got out safely with their cat, and that’s when help showed up.
“Luckily, there is a guy off duty that was on his way to work. He came in to, like, kind of guide us,” Weissmann said. “He was like, grab your hose. My brother ran and grabbed the hose.”
Giblin was en route to work when he spotted smoke. He also happened to be their neighbor.
“I just saw smoke in the middle of the morning and it just kept getting thicker and thicker,” Giblin told the outlet. “I was worried about the people inside. So, I wanted to go in and check them out and make sure they’re all good.”
He stopped without hesitation, ensuring residents were safe. Then, grabbing a fire extinguisher from his personal vehicle, he worked to slow the flames until fire crews arrived.
Upon their arrival, Giblin provided crucial details about the fire and continued to assist as needed.
Ty Day, Captain of the Ponderosa Fire Center, said, “It only takes about five minutes to have the full garage be covered in smoke, where you can’t see anything in the fire to move quickly. So, if he wouldn’t have knocked it down by the time the engine got there, it could have been extended into the house or could have gotten everything inside the garage.”
While the fire was contained to the garage, the family said a lot of the house has smoke damage. It is still unclear what caused the fire. The family expressed their gratitude for Giblin’s quick actions.
READ ALSO: ‘I am here for Los Angeles’ – The Game joins firefighters in rescue operation
Even though the fire was only in the garage, the family mentioned there was a lot of smoke damage all over the house. They still don’t know what caused the fire, but the family really appreciated how quickly Giblin responded.
“God bless him. Yeah, he was a hero that day.” Weissmann said. “I’m beyond blessed.”
Officials from CAL FIRE praised Giblin’s actions, noting that he likely prefers to avoid attention. However, they emphasized that such incidents underscore the bravery, swift judgment, and commitment firefighters consistently demonstrate, whether on or off duty, in serving their communities.
The collaborative and rapid response ensured the fire was confined to the garage, with no injuries sustained.
