In the Arms of a Stranger

The fire burned furiously. Thick, hot black smoke spiraled around the duplex, which was quickly losing the battle against the flames. Damn candles!Damn the weak construction of those cheap blocks! Damn everything if they didn't get that under control quickly. By the time the first fire engines arrived, the fire had already spread to both floors of the apartment. Erin DeLuca, her immediate superior, Captain CJ Gooding, and Firefighter Ryan Drake, the crew members of engine eight, were assigned to investigate the north apartment on the ground floor.
They rescued everyone they could find in the building, and then all engines focused on fighting the fire, determined to put it out against all odds. The wall of heat was suffocating Erin, who knew it would get worse before it got better. When the water hit the flames, the resulting steam would be a hundred times hotter than the fire itself. Through the helmet's faulty headset, Erin heard the sound of breathing-her own and those of every other firefighter trying to extinguish the raging blaze.
Beyond the chorus of breathing came the sound of breaking glass; firefighters colliding with walls and furniture in near-zero visibility; the pounding of boots on the floors above; radio communications as rooms were evacuated; and, of course, the hissing of the monster. Amid the cacophony, the radio communications were nearly unintelligible.inside his mask and helmet. Fortunately, everyone was already accustomed to its limitations.
His muscles were tense from the weight of the hose that, with a bit of luck, would put out the fire at least on that floor.-Hillside Command Control."Come in, " Erin heard the battalion chief reply from her vantage point outside the building.-The incident started thirty minutes ago, sir.-Roger that, thirty minutes. Thank you. Erin's friend Lexi gave the time from her position in the communications center, and Erin couldn't help a feeling of alarm in her chest.
After 30 minutes, the fire was hot enough to melt steel, and they seemed no closer to controlling it than they had been upon arrival. She checked the reading on her oxygen tank. It was half full, implying that some of the larger men's tanks were already nearly empty. He squinted to see through the blackness, but it was no use. He closed his eyes and surrendered to the sensations of hearing and touch.
He moved to the left, toward the bursts of fire. Above them, a roar came without warning. Everyone stepped back as the ceiling collapsed, raining furniture and flames, wood, water, and the two firefighters in that particular room. The ash and sparks settled, and everyone moved at once. Erin dropped to the ground and made her way to the nearest firefighter. When she reached him, she leaned down near his helmet and mask, now torn from his face, which wasn't a good thing.
He put them back in their place, but not before he recognized it. His heart sank."I've got you, Sully, " she shouted, even though she knew he probably couldn't hear as much as she did. "Can you talk?"He let out a groan. She looked at the gaping hole just as flames engulfed what remained of the upstairs floor. His heart skipped a beat."Team Eight-A to Command Center; Sullivan is down, " came the radio.
"The second floor is lost. I have Sullivan and I'm going togo out."Eight-B to Command Center, we have Arroyo, " Drake's voice came. "He's unconscious. The extent of his injuries is unknown."