ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Two St. Johns County men are being called heroes after they pulled a 62-year-old woman from her burning home Tuesday morning.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue officials said the fire started around 8:30 a.m. at a home in the Moultrie Oaks Retirement Community off Wildwood Drive in St. Augustine.
The woman was taken to the burn unit at UF Health Hospital in Gainesville and is in stable condition.
The two men who pulled her from the home said they are far from heroes.
"I understand we saved her life, but it just comes from instinct," Andrew Roberts said. "It's something you should do. Honestly, I would do it again if I had to."
Roberts and Marc Johnson, who work for the maintenance crew at the community, said they were working on the pool across the pond and heard glass shattering from the windows of a home.
They ran over to help and found smoke and flames pouring from the house. They knew the woman living in the home lived alone, so they put their own lives at risk to save hers.
They said they kicked down the front door, stuck their heads inside and found the woman lying by the door. They picked her up and moved her away from the home and waited with her until rescue crews arrived.
"We could hear her screaming as we were running over there. We were just wanting to get her out as quickly as possible," Roberts said. "There's a lot of smoke and a lot of flames. It's been an experience this morning."
The two men happen to be first cousins. Roberts has worked at the retirement community eight years, and Johnson has been there for three. Both said they've never experienced anything like this before.
"This is the first time we've ever had a fire in the park actually," Roberts said. "It's going to be a long day."
The two said they hope the woman makes a full recovery.
"That she can come back 100 percent, and that she's healthy and won't be in any more pain," Johnson said.
They also want her to know they and the Moultrie Oaks community are here for her.
"Everyone around here, it's a very close community around here. We have houses, so everyone is very close," Roberts said.
The woman's mother said her daughter has lived in the community for five years. She said she's been through a lot health wise and liked being in the retirement community because she still had her independence.
Her mom said she's a fighter and hopes that will help pull her through this.
The state fire marshal said the fire was caused by improperly disposed of smoking materials.