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"I just ran in there": Bystander pulls people and pets out of burning house

A man says he saw a house on fire so he stopped and rescued those inside.

KENNER, La. — A man driving past a fire at a Kenner home stopped to rescue those inside. Thanks to his and others' selfless heroism, more than a dozen people are safe.

Jonathan McCray says he's far from a hero, but the man who refuses to be called a hero, did something very heroic.

"Man I was just passing by leaving my brunch, I seen the smoke, hey I just went into survival, help everybody out man, that was really it," McCray said. "My car was still running, I didn't even turn my car off or nothing, I just ran in there and started grabbing people."

He pulled people and dogs out of the house.

"I am definitely scared of fires, I know I had the opportunity before it got bad. It was just starting, it was maybe two/three minutes in so I knew I had time to get in there, by the time I got in there, the smoke started getting real thick," McCray said. "I was grabbing everybody and just pulling them and grabbing them dogs and throwing them out the door it was a lot."

According to Chief Terence Morris with Kenner Fire Department said there were 15 people inside, most of them were kids. The fire started around 11 a.m., and firefighters had it under control within 90 minutes.

Java Jordan witnessed the fire, she said she saw McCray saving those trapped inside.

"We saw some smoke going up and then when I came out, I saw the side of the house on fire, so I was screaming and hollering, saying 'Somebody help, somebody help,'" Jordan said.

All that could be saved was what could be carried out. According to Chief Morris, the cause is still under investigation. A Firefighter was taken to hospital for a heat-related illness.

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