Newark Mayor Booker on rescuing woman from fire

On Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien Newark Mayor Cory Booker describes saving a woman from a home fire.

Mayor Booker says, “As we were ascending the stairs, the last woman coming out was screaming that her daughter was still in the building. I ran up to the top of the steps with my security detail behind me. Something exploded and sent a lot of flames and my detail grabbed me and tried to drag me out of there. We got into a bit of an altercation. Unfortunately, I was able to convince them to let go of me and just jumped into the kitchen which was on fire and was able to make my way through there to a back bedroom where the woman was hiding and it was a touch and go moment. I was able to grab her and get back through the kitchen. That’s when she sustained some burns and I got some minor burns and got her out of the house.”

He continues, ” I had a feeling today of a sense of just gratitude. I said I think I’ve gotten a lot more religious because when I got through the fiery kitchen, the room I came into was just full of smoke. I couldn’t find the woman. I looked back behind me and the kitchen was becoming more and more of an inferno. At that point I thought to myself this is. And fortunately she called out for me. I was able to feel my way and find her and then just made the choice. I said we have to go back through that kitchen and was able to carry her that back through. She didn’t have many clothes on. My clothes protected, it got thinnish. But her back got burned up. My hand holding her got burned.”

Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien airs weekday mornings from 7-9am ET on CNN.