Deputy honored for saving lives during Utah wildfire
Utah deputy rescues two people who allegedly ignored roadblock and started a new wildfire.
A sheriff's deputy who spotted a flare-up while he was working at the south end of the Knolls Fire in Utah – which forced thousands to evacuate – ended up saving the lives of two people.
On June 28, Deputy John Thomas noticed a separate small flare-up along State Road 68 and immediately contacted his base, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said.
“Can you confirm with fire if they have people just south of the Knolls that just started another fire?” Thomas called out on his radio to dispatch in a video released by the sheriff's office. “We just had a large flare-up down here with a couple of individuals running away.”
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The sheriff's office said on Facebook the two people were "running for their lives" after their pickup got stuck and a woman inside got "badly burned."
Utah County Sheriff’s Office Deputy John Thomas was watching the south end of the Knolls Fire on June 28 when we noticed another flare-up nearby and ended up saving the lives of two people. (Utah County Sheriff’s Office)
Thomas told FOX13 on Wednesday he was able to intercept them as they were trying to outrun the flames.
“The one female, the adult female was pretty burnt,” he said. “Severe burns everywhere, face, hair, arms, legs.”
According to the sheriff's office, the roadway was closed to through traffic but the two allegedly drove around a roadblock and were attempting to go through an off-road area when they got stuck in a ravine.
The vehicle the two individuals were in. (Utah County Sheriff’s Office)
The vehicle then caught fire, leaving the woman with numerous severe burns.
After Thomas took the two in his patrol car to a safe location, the woman was airlifted to an area hospital. The man sustained no injuries but the woman is still hospitalized, according to FOX13.
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The man has since been charged with criminal mischief and trespass.
Utah County Sheriff’s Office Deputy John Thomas was watching the south end of the Knolls Fire on June 28 when we noticed another flare up nearby and ended up saving the lives of two people. (Utah County Sheriff’s Office)
Thomas told FOX13 that it's not uncommon for people to avoid signage and ignore roadblocks, especially when wildfires happen.
“We do it for the safety of not just us but also for the citizens,” he said.
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On Wednesday, Thomas was honored with an award from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office for his life-saving, quick actions.
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“It does mean a lot, I know they’re all looking at me as doing something great, I look at it as I wish this award was put out to more people,” Thomas told FOX13, referring to others involved in the rescue operation. “I don’t feel like my actions were any different than anybody else’s actions but I do really appreciate it and it does mean a lot to me.”
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