'She's a hero;' neighbour runs into burning building to help partially blind man escape DDO fire

MONTREAL -

A man whose Dollard-des-Ormeaux apartment went up in flames on Saturday said he owes his survival to a good neighbour.

“I looked over and at the bottom of the door, I saw gold and white coming out of it. I said 'There's a fire on the other side of that door,'” said Patrick Quinn.

Quinn, who suffers from a number of health issues and is partially blind, wasn't able to get out of the building alone. Neighbour Jennifer Auger noticed he wasn't outside once she had left the building.

“I was standing there with my daughter and my two cats and their carrier and when we came out, we saw the smoke coming out of the hallway,” she said. “We realized how bad it was, and that’s when I called my neighbour and told him to get out and I went back in to get him.”

“Then she turns around and says 'Come on, come on, get out of there.' Meanwhile, I’m gasping for air,” added Quinn.

Both Auger and Quinn were able to get out of the building safely and were met by firefighters and Auger's husband Michael Pang and their daughter, who were waiting anxiously.

“I wanted to go in and help but I couldn't because I was with my dog and he was pulling,” said Pang.

Quinn didn't hold back his praise for his neighbour, calling her a hero who deserved a reward. Auger's daughter, Mackenzie Pang echoed the sentiment, saying “She ran into a burning building to save someone she cares for. It's not wrong; she's a hero.”

But Auger is much more modest about her actions.

“It's driving me crazy. My mother is saying the same thing. I don't think I'm a hero. I had to get Pat, I don't know what else to say.”

Both families lost everything in the fire, and neither had insurance. But they said thus far, the community has come together, helping them and other tenants with donations.