By Paul Miller, Northwest Region

It was late on a foggy Thursday morning, and Siegfried “Ziggy” Glocker was easing into his day with a cup of coffee and checking email while his faithful chihuahua, Chico, sat comfortably in his lap.

At first, the dark haze outside his apartment seemed different from the usual morning fog. When Ziggy stepped out onto his balcony for a better look, he realized something was horribly wrong.

Black smoke was billowing up the side of the building. Dozens of units in his Tumwater apartment building were being engulfed.

Rushing back inside, Ziggy headed toward the front door, only to find smoke and flames on that side as well. When he opened the door, the heat and smoke were overwhelming. He immediately shut the door and retreated to the balcony, scooping up Chico and leaving behind the cane he relies on for mobility.  

Ziggy was trapped while his apartment building was burning around him.

As the situation developed, 911 calls were flooding in and being routed to the Tumwater Fire Department, whose headquarters are fortuitously across the street from the apartments. Firefighters arrived within moments.

From his balcony, Ziggy watched as neighbors pointed up to him, alerting firefighters that he was stuck.

His first thought wasn’t for his own safety.

“Save Chico,” he called out.

A bystander stood under the balcony, reaching up as Ziggy held the little dog as low as he could. Chico flew through the air, landing safely in the arms of the person below.

As flames and smoke rapidly consumed the building, firefighters rushed to set up a ladder to the balcony, and one of them climbed up to Ziggy.

Still in his pajamas, Ziggy hesitated.

His cane was still in the apartment.

A brief negotiation with the firefighter ensued. They convinced Ziggy to leave his cane behind and helped him descend the ladder.

Everyone escaped the building safely, but the damage was devastating. Fire, smoke and water left dozens of apartments uninhabitable, displacing 63 people.

Like many of his neighbors, some of whom were not even home at the time, Ziggy escaped with little more than the pajamas he was wearing. He had left behind not just his cane, but essential items like his keys and wallet, as well as cherished items such as his architectural drawings from when he was in school.

While firefighters worked to contain and extinguish the fire, local American Red Cross volunteers arrived to help residents begin the difficult process of recovery.

Working alongside apartment management, community partners and local organizations, Red Cross teams met with residents to assess immediate needs and connect them with resources. Volunteers connected families with basic needs such as shelter, food, clothing, medicine, pet supplies, and more. 

A couple of days after the fire, while enjoying a cup of coffee and holding Chico, Ziggy reflected on how fast his life had changed.

Ziggy said he knew the Red Cross responds to major disasters. What he didn’t realize was that Red Cross volunteers respond to smaller community emergencies such as house and apartment fires.

Now, he wants others to know.

Ziggy described how profoundly grateful he is for receiving such “heartfelt assistance” following this life-altering fire. He is now beginning the long process of rebuilding.

He quickly pointed out that his story was just one of dozens from that day. 

As we finished talking, despite the magnitude of his recent loss, Ziggy was focused on visiting the fire station to personally thank the firefighters involved.

No doubt Chico will be right there beside him.