In a special recognition ceremony held on Monday during Pine Bluff’s City Council meeting, Cortez Shaw and Keyonta Washington were honored for their heroic actions during a devastating fire at the Piney Wood Apartments near Golden Lion Stadium.
The fire, which occurred last Tuesday, caused major property damage and put residents in grave danger.
“It was so horrific and dramatic to the point where people were jumping out of a second-story window,” Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers said, describing the scene upon hearing the news of the blaze.
Pine Bluff Fire Chief Shauwn Howell, who responded to the scene, provided a synopsis of the event.
“When firefighters arrived, heavy fire smoke was showing, a lot of commotion going on, and a lot of unsteadiness going on,” he stated.
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After everyone was out of the structure, stories of heroic actions began to emerge, particularly through social media, Howell added.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Piney Wood Apartments at 6:39 p.m. last Tuesday and cleared the scene at 10:43 p.m. Flames were reportedly showing on a bottom-floor apartment and spreading to the top floor rapidly. Residents were reportedly trapped, prompting fire crews to initiate search-and-rescue operations and a “fast attack” of the fire.
“Numerous” civilians were rescued and saved, according to a fire report. One firefighter was injured.
In all, 20 firefighters across six companies fought the blaze, which was contained to one apartment building with eight units. The structure sustained major damage and its contents have been ruled a major loss.
“Four of the eight individual units received heavy fire damage and four of the eight received minor smoke and water damage,” according to the news release.
Howell emphasized the significance of Shaw’s and Washington’s efforts.
“A lot of accommodation to these two individuals for assisting those people that couldn’t assist themselves,” he said. “This was a serious fire and it was a two-story building, and it could have gotten really bad really quick.”
He said that both men were in the apartment complex at the time of the fire, one upstairs and one downstairs visiting a family member.
“It was just a very chaotic scene there for a real short brief time, but they rose to the occasion, and I’m just honored to be able to say that they did a great job in saving those lives.”
Howell also acknowledged the broader community effort, saying, “There were others there doing great things as well, a community effort, and it just shows that in the time of need, we come together and get the job done.”
When asked if he had anything to say, Washington simply stated, “I just want to say that I thank God.”
“Things could have been seriously worse than what it was,” added Shaw. “I just thank God for keeping us with the right mind and actions.”
The city recognized the men with awards, reading a citation that expressed “deep gratitude and sincere appreciation” for their “courageous and selfless” actions. The citation further noted their “Swift and fearless response without regard for your own safety” which “exemplifies the highest commitment to humanity and resulted in saving a life.” The city declared their heroism “serves as an inspiration to others.”
The city expressed its appreciation for their “quick action and your willingness to sacrifice your own life to save others in a time with need.”