In a harrowing rescue on Friday afternoon, two brothers pulled six elderly residents from a burning assisted living facility in Glendale, California, just before flames engulfed the structure. The fire broke out at a home on the 1800 block of Mountain Street, and Glendale firefighters arrived around 4:45 p.m. to find heavy smoke and rapidly spreading flames.
Alex Bazinyan, 20, and his brother Narek, 15, were nearby when they heard frantic cries for help. “I ran outside and I was looking at the front door when I saw the nurse outside and she was screaming for help,” Alex told KTLA. The brothers knew seniors were trapped inside and immediately sprang into action.
Narek initially grabbed a garden hose to try to douse the flames, but as the fire intensified and screams grew louder, they realized they had to enter the building. “I go inside this big room and I see all these old people on the floor with catheters,” Alex recounted. “Some people were injured, had blood on their legs. We just took everybody out one by one.”
Inside were six elderly residents, most unable to walk, along with two nurses who were struggling to evacuate them. Narek described entering the home and spotting a man nearly overtaken by fire. “The nurse is trying to pick him up. I go and grab his legs and pull him out to the front,” he said.
Two additional neighbors soon joined the effort, helping to carry residents to safety. “As I’m looking around, I just see flames going up and coming towards me,” Narek said. “I tried bringing everyone out as fast as I could. There was smoke everywhere. I was pretty much blinded by the smoke.”
All six residents were placed on the front lawn as they awaited emergency crews. Just as the last person was moved out, Alex heard a loud explosion. “I looked back and I didn’t understand what exploded, but I just heard a big boom,” he said. The Glendale Fire Department chief later confirmed that an oxygen tank likely exploded, causing part of the home to collapse.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to neighboring houses. Seven people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The brothers said their actions were driven by instinct. “It’s that instinct of whenever you see people in need, you want to help them out,” Alex said. “You don’t really think about who it is. We have a really tight-knit community here.” Narek echoed that sentiment: “If you ever see anyone in need, you should always try to help them out as much as you can.”
The incident highlights broader concerns about fire safety in residential care facilities, a topic that has drawn attention from policymakers. In recent years, California has faced scrutiny over oversight of assisted living homes, and this rescue underscores the critical role that quick community action can play in emergencies. As investigations continue, the Bazinyan brothers are being hailed as local heroes.
