By Laura Crimaldi, Boston Herald
Nov. 5--Flaming piles of junk packed into a Lynn home forced heroic cops and firefighters to risk their lives a half-dozen times before they were able to rescue a man trapped inside.
"If that hallway had been cleared he would have been able to walk out of that place," said police officer Tom Hazard, 36, the first emergency responder to arrive on Clinton Street at about 9:27 p.m. Tuesday.
"It was extremely frustrating knowing I was so close at one point. I had my hand on the guy but your instinct to help is overridden by your probably more natural instinct to stay alive," said Hazard, who was repeatedly overcome by acrid black smoke. "As much as I would have liked to have pulled and tugged on that guy, I couldn't budge him."
The man Hazard was trying to reach, Glaston Edwards, reportedly in his 50s, is in serious condition at Massachusetts General Hospital. City building inspectors issued a demolition order to the homeowner yesterday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Hazard managed to pull another man out of the house before trying to get to Edwards. When officers John Marr and David Galezzi arrived, they began tossing out debris with Hazard to clear a passage to Edwards.
In all, Hazard tried six times to get to Edwards before firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus from Engine 5 and Ladder 1 were able to reach him.
"They did a good job," said Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Carmody.
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