Chicago Police Officers Save Kids From Burning House

"I feel great knowing that they were out safely and not one of them was injured"

Chicago Police officers Samantha Smith and Kevin Tate say they were just doing their job when they saved two children Tuesday night from a house fire in West Pullman.

"I don't feel like we're heroes," Smith told reporters Wednesday. "I just feel like God put us in that place."

"We had to figure out something to do to get the kids," Tate said.

The officers were patrolling the area at about 6:10 p.m. when they saw smoke in the 11600 block of South Michigan Avenue.

Jumping out of their car and running toward the home, Smith and Tate said they saw kids inside a two-story frame building pushing the glass out of a window to try and get out.

Tate, who has nine years on the force, said they stood under the window and urged an 8-year-old boy to jump into their arms.

"He was slightly hesitant but he got [himself] out of the window and then he kind of jumped straight out," Tate said.

The next catch was a little more awkward. Smith, who has 11 years on the force, said a 15-year-old "leaped" out of the window. Though the child wasn't injured, Smith hurt her arm. She said she's just glad the kids were OK.

"I feel great knowing that they were out safely and not one of them was injured at all," she said. "That's a blessing."

The Chicago Fire Department rescued an elderly resident from the home, and the officers assisted. The smoke was very heavy, and they couldn't get inside the home.

"You can't train for that. You hear voices and hear people that need help and you just have to do what you need to do."

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