Man Risks Life While Saving Grandson

January 15th, 2010 By: Brittany

PORTLAND, Ore. — A La Grande man is in a burn unit after risking his life to save his grandchild from a burning house Monday night.

Jim Smith is recovering at Legacy Emanuel Hospital from burns to the top of his head, face, arms and 70 percent of his back after charging into the blaze on Ash Street in La Grande.

Smith was sleeping in a camper parked in the driveway when a neighbor pounded on the house’s front door to alert the children’s father, Steven Lane, to the fire.

Lane rushed upstairs to get 2-year-old Alexis and 4-year-old Austin. Ashley, 7, was able to break a first-floor window and escape on her own.

But 6-year-old Aaden was still in the basement.

When Smith heard the boy was still inside, he headed toward the blaze.

“I had to go through the flames to get into the house because it had already engulfed the whole porch area of the house and the back porch. The computer room was all in flames. Then, down in the basement, it was starting to burn down through the basement to Aaden’s bed,” he said.

Smith said he found the boy asleep, wrapped him in a jacket and looked for a way out.

“I was beside myself. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared to death,” he said.

Smith, who was not wearing a shirt or a hat, carried Aaden up the stairs and escaped through the garage.Aaden suffered a burn on the back of his hand. The other children weren’t injured.

The childrens’ mother, Crystal Voyles, said she returned home Monday night after being called about the fire.She rejoined her family in a nearby church parking lot.Voyles and her children called Smith “Papa Jim, our hero” after the fire.

“I didn’t let go of (Aaden) and he didn’t let go of me until we found what we needed to find — everyone that was in that house,” Smith said.

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