Idaho honors Rathdrum fireman

Lt. John Ward of Kootenai County Fire & Rescue was presented the Idaho Medal of Honor in Boise on Friday for saving a wheelchair-bound neighbor from her burning home in Rathdrum in April 2015. He was photographed at one of the district’s fire stations in Post Falls. (Kathy Plonka/SR photo)

No one trains to dive into a burning building without any protective clothing or breathing apparatus. But when he saw his wheelchair-bound neighbor trapped inside her smoke-filled house last year, veteran firefighter and EMT John Ward did just that.

He pulled out Valerie Yates seconds before the house was engulfed in flames.

“I call him my commando,” said Yates, 72. “He came in crawling on his belly, because by that time the fire was moving down to the floor. He saw my hand there and he drug me clear out.”

For his “conspicuous gallantry and exceptionally meritorious conduct,” the lieutenant with Kootenai County Fire & Rescue has received the Idaho Law Enforcement, Firefighting and EMS Medal of Honor. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden presented Ward the medal at a ceremony Friday in Boise.

The dramatic rescue unfolded on Main Street in Rathdrum around 5:30 p.m. on April 13, 2015. Ward and his wife had been on an afternoon bicycle ride that Monday, his day off, and had been home about 10 minutes.

“All of a sudden I starting hearing some yelling and screaming. Sounded like they were calling my name,” Ward said. “I looked out my patio door and saw the ugly, brown, chunky smoke and knew immediately what that was.”

His next-door neighbor’s house was on fire. Ward grabbed his portable radio to call it in, threw on some shoes and dashed outside/ Scott Maben , SR. More here (subscription).