Antonio Frink had returned home only moments before he saw the smoke
LAWRENCE -- Antonio Frink was on the front porch of his Johnson Avenue home when his friend first noticed smoke coming from under the door. Within moments, he rushed inside and fought his way through heavy smoke to the bedroom to pull his 16-year-old autistic sister to safety.
But it might have been a very different story had Frink not forgotten his wallet and returned home only seconds before.
"I was just happy that I came home because, if not, that could've been my sister in there and I would've had a body plus a house," he said. "It was like something told me to come back."
Frink, 27, had gone to pick up something from his friend down the street midmorning Wednesday, but turned back when he realized he forgot his wallet. He was on the porch for no more than two seconds when one of his friends alerted him to the smoke.
"I bust through the door and I saw the whole kitchen was on fire," he said. "But I wasn't worried about that, I was more worried about my sister. So I ran into the middle room, grabbed my sister and then I rushed her out."
His friends, meanwhile, called 911.
Frink says his sister, Victoria, would have stayed put in the room if he hadn't come.
"She was just going to sit there and that's what scares me," he said. "She wanted to make sure nothing came in so she was in the room trying to board herself. But I went through the door. ... The smoke had already hit me so I had to cover my eyes as I pushed her down the hallway to get her out.
"I got hit with so much heat ... but to get her, it was so worth it," he said.
Once they made it outside, Frink grabbed the hose and started spraying water wherever he could before the firefighters arrived.
Details about the fire or possible causes were not immediately available.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.