Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Three receive recognition for July house fire rescue
 From left, Jerrod Phipps, 19, Clinton McCullough, 18, and Dustin Durham, 18, describe the night they saved four people from a burning house on Main Street. All three teenagers recieved awards from the fire department, who called them heroes. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
Three area teenagers received certificates of recognition from the Winona Fire Department for saving the lives of three people from a burning house last month.
And all they wanted was to eat some chicken.
Jerrod Phipps, 19, was driving his two friends, Clinton McCullough and Dustin Durham, both 18, down Main St. in the early morning hours on July 3 to a friend’s house to hang out and, well, eat chicken.
They saw a small fire outside a house in the 400 block and assumed it was contained.
“I didn’t want to feel stupid if they knew about it,” McCullough said. “When the side of the porch caught on fire, I decided to do something.”
Phipps parked his car and the three boys approached the house. McCullough and Durham both decided to go onto the porch to let the people inside know.
They pounded on the door, and the smoke on the porch became so heavy McCullough couldn’t breathe.
“I shoved (Dustin) out of the way to get off the porch,” McCullough said.
They went to the side of the house and banged on the windows, until one of the residents yelled, “What?”
“I was like, ‘Dude, your house is on fire,’” McCullough said. “He went to the front door and looked out, then closed the door again.”
McCullough yelled several more times before the four students inside made it out safely. As soon as they did, the wind changed and flames engulfed the front of the house.
Durham was the one who called 911 and said the operator sounded more panicked than he was.
“She kept telling me that they’d be there in five minutes and I shouldn’t worry,” he said.
The boys remained on the scene for several hours, mostly because their car was boxed in by firefighters.
They wound up getting their chicken — and found some skeptical friends.
“I said I was a hero,” Durham said. “All girls never believe me.”
Their experience at the burning house may coincidentally foreshadow the trio’s future plans. Phipps, a Saint Mary’s University sophomore, is thinking about majoring in criminal justice; McCullough will attend Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical and wants to be a first responder; and Durham is considering being a firefighter or police officer.
“They did everything they were supposed to,” said Jim Multhaup, assistant fire chief. “They saved four people if not from death, from grave physical injury.”
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