3 officers hailed as heroes after rescuing woman from burning house in Brentwood

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (WABC) -- Suffolk County police officers rescued a woman from a house fire in Brentwood late Thursday.

The three brave officers work out the precinct in Bay Shore, but they were over in neighboring Brentwood around 11:45 p.m. when they were able to respond to the blaze on Eighth Avenue to save the victim's life.

Cell phone video caught the frantic moments, showing first responders quickly arriving and the fire already spreading through home and keeping neighbors at bay, unable to help those inside.

"We could see the house fully engulfed," police officer Jessie Zuckerman said.

Zuckerman, along with officers Darrell Randolph and Ronald Racioppi, were on patrol when they came upon the desperate scene. Their instincts and training took over, and Randolph found the homeowner out on the front lawn.

"He's screaming in Spanish that his wife is still in the house," he said. "We speak enough Spanish that we could understand what he was saying."

The trio didn't hesitate at the front door, and moving low to the floor, Zuckerman was the first inside.

"About 15 feet into the house, as we opened the front door, we could actually see a woman's foot lying there," he said. "I was able to pull her left leg, I remember. We physically pulled her from the burning area where the fire was. The other two officers pretty much grabbed my back."

They were able to pull her to safety out on the front lawn, where they could administer first aid.

"Someone's life is in the balance, you don't hesitate," Racioppi said. "It's what we do. We're cops. We go in and did our job."

Neighbors watched as the three officers risked their own lives to save the female victim.

"They were brave enough to go in, because I don't think anyone else would have," neighbor Damaris Bonilla said.

And because of their quick actions, a woman's life was saved.

"It's a great feeling, because all three of us have children," Zuckerman said. "So that's the first thing you think of, is does she have children? It was nice to reciprocate because you want the same thing done."

The woman was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where she was treated for smoke inhalation. There were no injuries to two other adults and three children who were also inside.

The Brentwood Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.