23-year-old firefighter hailed a hero after entering burning home, saving 64-year-old woman

CLAYTON, Del. (FOX 29) - A 23-year-old volunteer firefighter has been hail a hero after he entered an inferno at a trailer home in New Castle County and rescued the 64-year-old occupant.

Austin Moorhead of the Christiana Fire Company wasted no time responding to imminent danger. Decked out in his heavy fire equipment, he hoisted himself up onto a trash can, and with the help of police tumbled into the window of the home.

"You could see fire down the hall and through the kitchen area," said Moorhead.

Once he got his bearing, Moorhead says he heard three breaths among the flames and stayed low to the ground to find the imperiled woman.

"Lower to the ground you can see better, air quality is better," said Moorhead.

He spotted the woman lying on the bed and grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. With the help of another firefighter, Moorhead lifted the victim out the window of her burning home.

Moorhead says the woman is recovering at the hospital.

"She's moved to a step-down unit Crozer Burn Center where they will do skin grafts and other operations."

If it was not for Moorhead's heroics, the 64-year-old woman might not have made it out of her torched home. But the young firefighter respects the dangers of his job and is slow to label himself a hero.

"It's my job to help people, make people's lives better. On the worst day of their lives we could be there," said Moorhead. "I would want someone to come get me if I was trapped in a house."