Two friends who were driving by an apartment fire in Trophy Club on Thursday stopped to help and turned into rescuers.
"We were actually driving by (on Highway) 114 over here and we happened to see smoke," Michael Wallace said.
The smoke was coming from the Vineyards Apartments.
"I see smoke and smoke," Wallace said. "And I'm like, 'That's no barbecue.'"
Wallace and his friend Jessie Small raced to the danger before firefighters arrived.
"He was on the other side and I was running up the stairs," Small said.
Inside apartment 3201, Rosemary Frank, a 69-year-old retired teacher from Zimbabwe, had no idea her apartment building was on fire.
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"I was about to prepare some food for lunch," she said.
Small banged on her door, desperate to get her out.
"I tried to heave it first (with my) shoulder," Small said. "Excuse the language, but I said, 'F-this,' And I kicked in the door."
At first, Frank wondered what the commotion was about.
"And she said, 'There's a fire, fire fire!'" Frank said. "And when I got out and I looked up, there was a fire. And it was spinning."
Frank said Small saved her life.
"I'd like to say to her thank you, thank you so much. My life was saved because of her," Frank said.
Small, 24, a sign-language student, said she and Wallace, 26, who is studying heating and air conditioner repair, did what they had to do.
"It's scary, but yeah, you have to act on impulse. Fear isn't an option," she said.
Frank said she doesn't know how to express her gratitude.
"She's amazing. And I already told her she's a hero," Frank said. "She's our hero."
