Capts. Cameron Sunderland (left) and Nicholas Wukovich each received Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage awards, presented to individuals in eastern and central Pennsylvania who have risked their lives to save others from a burn or death by fire. Courtesy photo

A pair of city firefighters each received an award for bravery from a consortium of Allentown-area organizations Tuesday for rescuing three young people from the attic of a burning house in April.

Firefighters were dispatched to the house on the 100 block of East Fourth Avenue with reports about the entrapment, according to the citation for the Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage awards for Capts. Cameron Sunderland and Nicholas Wukovich, presented to individuals in eastern and central Pennsylvania who have risked their lives to save others from a burn or death by fire.

When Wukovich arrived, he saw a 17-year-old girl hanging out of a small attic window holding two small children, and went inside in an attempt to reach them, according to the citation.

When Sunderland arrived, he climbed a ladder to reach the three young people from the outside, then descended the ladder with the small children, one at a time, according to the citation.

Sunderland went back up the ladder a third time for the 17-year-old, but “the fire flashed over inside, sending thick smoke, fire and heat straight to the attic window,” trapping Wukovich, who issued a mayday, according to the citation.

The window was too small for Sunderland to pull the 17-year-old through, so he and the girl were stuck there “enduring thick smoke, zero visibility and high heat,” according to the citation.

Because the girl was struggling to breathe, Sunderland “put his air mask on her and pulled her as far out as he could, using his body to cover her and protect her from the heat and smoke,” according to the citation.

The firefighter and the girl stayed there for six to eight minutes, until the ladder truck could reach them, enabling the sash of the window to be knocked out, after which Sunderland persuaded the girl onto the roof ladder, then into the ladder truck, according to the citation.

When the flashover happened, Capt. Brian Caldwell, who had been helping Sunderland, had gone in to help Wukovich.

Sunderland was afflicted with severe smoke inhalation and Wukovich with second-degree burns on his hands, according to the citation and Fire Chief Adam Free, who nominated the pair for the award, and who attended the ceremony with Deputy Chief Mike Hawksworth.

Both Sunderland and Wukovich were off for a period of time after the incident, Free said.

Five other firefighters were also injured that evening.

The children were all hospitalized, but have made full recoveries, according to the citation.

A disabled person who was trapped on the second floor died in the fire, according to the citation and a Mirror report shortly after the fire.