PETERSBURG, Va. -- Firefighters pulled an elderly woman from a burning home Thursday afternoon in Petersburg.
Firefighters responded to the 3300 block of Francis Street after community members reported the fire and the possibility that someone was inside the home.
The woman was taken to the hospital, where she is now recovering from burns.
Pedro Aldana, who was working near the home, was first on the scene and was able to pry open a back window of the burning house with a knife.
"I heard her yell back," Aldana said. "She said she couldn't see me and it was completely up in smoke."
With a better idea of the woman's location, some firefighters went through the back door. Others, like Richard Hurdle, entered the home through the back window Aldana pried open.
"Fire was going through the roof, but we had people in the back still talking to her, so we knew he was alive," Hurdle said.
The firefighters were able to safely pass the woman to a crew outside through the back window.
"Surreal, was surreal," said Battalion Chief Wilbur Barlow. "This was my first ever live rescue in my 25-year career."
Battalion Chief AG Ross said the team carried her right to the ambulance.
"This is why we're here, to save lives," Ross said. "These guys proved it today, that they can do it."
"Our prayers are for the victim and her family," said Captain Dan Macaluso. "That's where my prayers are right now. I hope she makes a good recovery."
The Petersburg Fire Marshal was called in to determine what started the fire and why it spread so quickly. Damage to the home is extensive.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have information to share.
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