A spur of the moment decision cost a New York woman and her son their lives. When fire ripped through her rental home, the woman’s heroic actions saved her elderly landlord, 91, in a house fire. Keep reading for more details on the tragic story.
New York Woman & Son Dead After Saving Landlord, 91, In Fire
When your home is on fire, you’re supposed to prioritize your own safety and get out as soon as possible. But for many people, their instinct overrides that directive. Sometimes the outcome is good, and everyone is saved. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in a recent house fire in Long Island, New York.
A home in Smithtown, a suburb of Long Island, caught fire on November 30. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw a fully engulfed first floor of the home. The fire was spreading to the second floor, where two people were trapped.
Christine Lehmann, 52, and her son, Nicholas Lehmann, were among the four tenants renting rooms in the two-story home. The 91-year-old homeowner, Ronald Montagna, was home at the time of the blaze.
Sadly, Christine Lehmann and her young adult son didn’t survive the fire. However, with the woman’s quick thinking, she was able to save her elderly landlord. He was later treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and burns.
Witness Describes Scene
One resident who wasn’t home at the time arrived after the fire had started. The renter witnessed Christine Lehmann’s heroic and selfless act. Anthony Capasso had just returned from Thanksgiving when he heard about the fire and rushed to the house.
The fire was too far along for Anthony Capasso to take action. He did, however, witness his elderly landlord’s rescue. “She came down, got the fire extinguisher, got him to get out, and she was calling her son,” he shared about the victim jumping into action to save her landlord.
Sadly, the split second decision cost her and her son their lives. “Supposedly, he had earbuds on, and she went back up and never made it back down,” the eyewitness told NBC affiliate WNBC.
House Fire Under Investigation
The tight-knit community mourns the loss of the Lehmanns. The first responders did everything they could to save their lives but it was too late. “Lines from multiple engines were stretched and firefighters pushed their way into the structure to knock down the flames. All efforts were made to reach the trapped residents but the fire load made it impossible,” the St. James Volunteer Fire Department wrote in a press release.
The local police were also involved in the rescue operation. They told the news that the fire was still under investigation, but they don’t suspect foul play. The elderly landlord is expected to make a full recovery.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
