SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police Sergeant Mohondro pulled an injured 82-year-old woman from a burning home after hearing faint cries for help inside, according to a City of Spokane Police Department release and official body camera video.

The department said the fire was reported around 11:20 p.m. on June 7 while Sgt. Mohondro was patrolling near W Sumner Avenue and S Grove Street on Spokane’s south side. When he realized he was about a block away from a possible house fire, he responded to help before Spokane Fire Department crews had arrived.

A family member said someone was still inside

According to the police release, a family member of a resident told Sgt. Mohondro that an elderly woman was likely still inside the home and unlocked the front door. The family member indicated the woman’s bedroom was on the top floor, where flames were coming from.

When the front door opened, the release said Sgt. Mohondro was hit with thick smoke and could hear faint cries for help. He entered the smoke-filled house, found a stairwell and moved to the second story.

Police said Sgt. Mohondro found the woman lying at the top landing of the stairs, appearing injured and struggling. As smoke grew thicker, he picked her up and carried her out of the house to safety.

Fire officials said seconds mattered

Spokane Fire Department and AMR crews arrived shortly afterward. The City of Spokane release said the 82-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for her injuries, fire crews extinguished the fire and confirmed no one else was inside, and Sgt. Mohondro was evaluated by AMR before going back on patrol.

“Seconds are critical in a fire, and Sergeant Mohondro’s actions on Sunday evening clearly made a difference,” Justin de Ruyter of the Spokane Fire Department said in the city release. “Fires typically double in size every minute, and smoke and toxic gases from modern furnishings can quickly incapacitate victims, even without significant heat. He entered a life-threatening environment and rescued a civilian without the protective gear or breathing equipment our firefighters depend on. This is an exceptional demonstration of bravery beyond duty.”

The department later updated the release with official body camera footage from the response. ThinBlueNews used a non-graphic exterior frame from that official source for the featured image and avoided victim closeups or privacy-blocked frames.

Why this story matters

The Spokane rescue is the kind of quiet, dangerous decision the public may never see without a source-backed release: an officer close enough to act, a family member sharing crucial information, a resident in danger upstairs, and fire and medical crews arriving moments later to finish the response.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used the City of Spokane / Spokane Police source for the facts, limited medical details to the official release, did not name the rescued woman, and used a real official body camera frame rather than generated rescue imagery.