San Rafael Resident Recognized for Evacuating Burning Building

The San Rafael Fire Commission recognized San Rafael resident Noel Funes Wednesday night for his heroic actions during a San Rafael fire last November that displaced several residents.

Funes, who lives and manages the apartment complex at 220 Canal Street, smelled and saw smoke coming from behind an apartment in the 43-unit 70,000-square-foot complex on Nov. 3 around 9:40 a.m. He called authorities and then, “without regard to his personal safety,” evacuated people inside the complex, according to San Rafael Fire Chief Chris Gray. Funes also alerted other apartment residents and helped firefighters with evacuate the building.

Gray described the series of events during Funes' heroic rescue: 

“In the precious few minutes before the arrival of firefighters, Noel arrived first at the 2^nd floor apartment responding to a smell and sight of smoke and fire to the rear of the unit. Noel found the apartment door and doorknob very hot to touch. He knocked hard and when no one answered, he forced the door open. Inside, he found a fire burning fiercely from the rear exterior balcony carrying smoke and flames inside the apartment. Automotive tires and other combustible materials that were now burning contributed to the heavy fire load. At significant personal risk to his own safety, Noel did a quick search of the apt. while crawling low due to the high heat and heavy smoke that had now completely covered the ceiling level and was banking down toward the floor. The conditions were becoming untenable and he backed out of the apt. When he was outside the front door, another resident said there were kids in their rooms in the apt. Noel decided to go back in.  He wrapped his shirt around his face to help with the smoke and re-entered the burning apartment searching the rooms again and found a man asleep on the couch who fortunately was the only occupant in the apartment.  Noel try to roust the man awake and then physically removed the man from the couch and pulled him outside the apartment to safety. Both were fortunately uninjured.”

At the Wednesday night meeting, Funes said he just did “what anyone would do,” according to Gray. 

“As a citizen, Noel’s response and actions were all we could hope for,” Gray said. “We are very grateful for Noel’s outstanding public service.” 

Funes was given a “Nozzle Award” plaque, which was inspired by Battalion Chief Jeff Buscher and crafted by San Rafael Fire Captain Greg Geide.

The initial source of the fire was barbecue embers from a cookout the night before the fire.

According to fire officials, the family’s apartment had a smoke detector that was missing the battery.

The Brandy Bar, a tug that is taking part in a dredging project overseen by the city of San Rafael and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was working in the area and noticed the smoke. The tug operator was the first to spray water on the second-floor balcony.

The fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

A note on fire safety from the fire chief:

Check to see that BBQ’s are permitted where you live. Residents are urged to not leave BBQ coals near combustibles. Put water on coals and place them in a metal container. Do not store combustibles on a deck. Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.

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