Man Rescues Neighbor From Burning Home

A man from Orange is being called a hero after risking his own life to save another.

Mike Mizzone, 46, ran into his neighbor’s burning home Thursday afternoon and pulled Josef Bruckuf, 81, to safety. 

"I covered my mouth with part of my shirt that was wet and crawled in and found him on the floor passed out in the kitchen," said Mizzone.

Mizzone knew there wasn’t much time to act.  He went into the home barefoot, grabbed Bruckuf, and got him to safety. 

"I dragged him to the door and that’s as far as I could make it for awhile because I almost passed out myself," Mizzone said.

The two made it to the side of the road where they waited for help. Bruckuf was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital’s burn unit with second- and third-degree burns to his face. He was in critical condition Friday.

Mizzone went to Yale-New Haven hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters say Mizzone is a hero and credit him for getting his neighbor out alive.

"This road is not highly traveled. If it wasn’t for neighbors helping each other out, it would have been an entirely different situation," said Fire Chief Charles Gagel.

More than half the home was destroyed. The cause of the fire is under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious.

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