Palm Desert man called a “hero” after pulling neighbor from burning home

The scene Sunday morning was horrifying. A home was fully engulfed in flames, in the 77-500 block of Edinburough Street in Palm Desert.

Ryan Szydlowski, who lives across the street, happened to open a window after the fire broke out, and heard a man calling for help, with a fire alarm also ringing.

“When i looked out the window, I saw some smoke pouring out of this guy’s house. So I kind of went into flight mode, threw some sandals on, and I was in my gym shorts, and i ran over there,” said Szydlowski.

The 32-year-old hospitality professional ran across the street and up to the front door of the burning home. The front screen door was closed, and the man inside was in a hallway, on the floor, and struggling to get on his feet.

“The door was very hot, because flames were already pouring out the front windows, and I took my shorts off to get the door open, and dragged him out,” said Szydlowski.

Once the man was out of the burning home, Szydlowski says his father who happened to be visiting, helped him carry the man away from the home, across the street to safety, where he was checked out by paramedics.

Szydlowski says there was one other thing about the fire Sunday that especially concerned him. It was the number of spectators who came to the neighborhood to see what was happenening.

He says he was concerned about the spectators possibly “getting in the way” of fire crews and police responding to the scene. He gives credit to the first responders, saying quote “they got there quickly”, with police officers clearing the street.

“Firefighters were off the truck, in the front door, and on the roof immediately,” said Szydlowski.

While giving others credit, Szydlowski is reluctant to take credit for what his neighbors call a “life saving” act.

“I hope that i would do the same thing, if it happened again. I hope somebody else would do the same thing for me. I feel like it is something that i am required to do, if i have a chance to help,” said Szydlowski.

Neighbors identified the man taken from the home as Ralph Goldfreed, who was taken to Eisenhower Medical Center.

The Red Cross tells News Channel 3 they will provide support to Goldfreed as he looks to recover from the fire which destroyed his home.

There is no word yet on what caused the blaze.