LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find a lone hero.
If you’re even luckier, you can find a team of them.
That was the case last Dec. 20, when a fire was reported at a home on North Shore Drive in Hidden Valley Lake.
The fire critically injured 18-year-old Kevin Hart and 20-year-old Jordan Armstrong, but the two young men would find help from a team of men who were converging at the scene.
According to Facebook pages dedicated to the young men, both have continued to endure lengthy and sometimes excruciating treatments – including multiple surgeries – for their very serious injuries.
Both are now home, but still face lengthy recoveries due to their burns, the extent of which make them highly susceptible to secondary health issues.
Hidden Valley Lake Security Officer Byran Atkins, Security Operations Manager Steve Atkinson, off-duty firefighter/paramedic Gabe Lopez, Lake County Fire firefighter/EMT Eric Vineyard and California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye would all play a key part in coming to the aid of Hart and Armstrong.
Just what started the fire still hasn’t been determined.
South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton said insurance investigators continue to work to settle on the cause.
“They haven’t released anything yet,” he told Lake County News on Monday.
All five men were honored last month at the Red Cross’ ninth annual Real Heroes Breakfast and Fundraiser and Lopez was nominated for the Stars of Lake County’s Local Hero of the Year Award.
The bravery of all of the men was praised again on Monday when CHP Northern Division Assistant Chief Ruben Leal presented Dye with certificate of commendation from the CHP Commissioner’s Office and a CHP Meritorious Award.
Dye received the award at a potluck CHP held at its Kelseyville office.
The Red Cross awards narrative of the event explained that Lopez and his family were driving home to Hidden Valley when they saw the house fire. Lopez parked and ran to the fire, where Vineyard and a neighbor were caring for Armstrong.
A short time later, Lopez found Hart stumbling down an embankment, on fire, the narrative explained. Lopez then worked to put out the fire on Hart and in the grass around him.
During the afternoon ceremony Sgt. Rick Okazaki said that Dye heard the fire call and responded to the area, finding the house fully engulfed when he arrived.
Dye told Lake County News at the Monday event that he has responded to fires before, but this one was different.
When he initially got the call, he said there was a report of someone still trapped in the house, which later was found not to be the case.
When Dye got there, Hidden Valley Lake Security directed him to the fire, where he found Lopez with Hart. Dye, Atkins, Atkinson, Lopez, Vineyard and Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Lyle Thomas attended to Hart, Okazaki said.
Between the men and the home was a 250-gallon propane tank that caught fire and sent flames 20 to 30 feet in the air, and there was smoke everywhere, Okazaki said.
When firefighters arrived minutes later Dye and the group secured Hart for transport and helped get him to an air ambulance, which flew him out of county, according to Okazaki.
“They did everything they needed to without caring for their own safety,” Okazaki said of the heroic group.
Five other CHP officers – Erica Coddington, Kory Reynolds, Mark Crutcher, Randy Forslund and Brian Engle – later would arrive to offer assistance at the scene, Okazaki said.
Dye would suffer smoke inhalation and be treated for it at the hospital, Okazaki said. While he was being treated, his fellow officers dealt with biohazard issues on Dye’s equipment.
In presenting the award plaque to Dye, Leal – who traveled from Redding for the ceremony – said, “This is the fun part of my job.”
He added, “We have so many officers that go above and beyond, and take the extra step, with no regard for their own safety, to help others.”
Lt. Greg Baarts, commander of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, hand-delivered the nomination package to Leal, who said he knew right away that Dye’s actions deserved recognition.
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