A quiet day at a local California strip mall erupted into chaos after an electric car smashed into a Mission Viejo nail salon, sparking an intense fire that quickly engulfed the storefront. An off-duty fire captain who witnessed the sudden crash immediately ran toward the danger instead of away, braving dense smoke and growing flames to rescue people trapped inside.
Orange County Fire Authority shared about the officer’s bravery in a series of tweets. The department wrote, “Off-duty OCFA fire captain helps save strip mall after vehicle crashes into nail salon, adding, “This morning, an electric vehicle crashed into a nail salon and immediately caught fire. Off-duty OCFA Fire Captain Chris Chang sprang into action, running into the burning salon to make sure everyone was out.”
Once he ensured that everyone was safe, Chang coordinated with the firefighters on scene to help contain the fire. “The two Engine 12 crew members teamed up with Captain Chang to secure a water supply, deploy multiple hoselines, and knock down the fire before it could spread to the rest of the building.”
The department also shared a video from the scene of the incident, which shows flames and thick black smoke rising from the vehicle that crashed into the salon. As the video progresses, firefighters spray water on the fire.
Recalling the incident, Chang told ABC Eyewitness News, “Fortunately, there were bystanders with fire extinguishers, kind of knocked some of the initial flames down, and then helping assist, pull the lady out from the vehicle.” “And then from there, kind of sprung into action, I guess. Being off-duty, it’s like, ‘Well, alright, here we go.'”
Chang, who didn’t have an oxygen tank or any protective gear, since he was off-duty, shared how he felt at the moment he rushed towards the burning building.
“It was a little surreal for sure, but I guess it’s either right place, right time, or just a coincidence.”