For Vietnam’s Fire Prevention and Fighting Day on October 4, Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Doai from Area 7 and Lieutenant Dong The Giap from Area 8 recalled searching for people in smoke and flames. Both had recently received certificates of commendation from Hanoi police.
According to the fire and rescue department, since 2016 the force has taken part in fighting more than 36,700 fires and carried out more than 23,000 rescue operations. Tens of thousands of people received help evacuating, and more than 12,000 were rescued directly.
For Doai and Giap, each operation requires finding a route through passages blocked by smoke, flames or goods.
One case Doai remembers clearly happened at night in May 2026. During his shift, he received a report of a fire at house No. 5 on Hang Voi Street in Hoan Kiem District.
The fire engine arrived four minutes later. Flames covered the front of the first floor and blocked the entrance. One group fought the fire while Doai and his colleagues approached the staircase to reach the upper floors.
After more than seven years working in the Old Quarter, Doai knew the layout of its narrow tube houses and could picture how to move inside. Burning material fell around the firefighters as they held their position and sprayed water.
Once the fire was partly contained, Doai handed the hose to a colleague and went upstairs to search for people. Wearing a breathing apparatus and mask, he crawled up the stairs. “The space was filled with thick black smoke and there was no visibility,” he recalled.
On the fifth and highest floor, Doai found four people. The flames had not reached them, but toxic smoke filled the space and an elderly woman had lost consciousness.
When his air supply ran out, Doai removed the cylinder, carried the woman down and guided the other three people. He fell with the victim on the fourth floor, then got up and continued. Colleagues helped them out on the second floor.
After handing over the victim, Doai lay on the pavement with chest pain. He rested for a few minutes, then returned to the team and helped clear the equipment.
Doai said that he thinks of little in a critical moment. For him, a firefighter’s main task is to save people.
About two kilometres from Doai’s station, at Area 8 on Hong Ha Street, Lieutenant Dong The Giap recalled another fire in which a baby under 15 months old had to be carried out.
At about 10:45 p.m. on April 12, a man ran to the station to report a fire. Giap sounded the alarm, put on his protective gear and went with colleagues to a house in Alley 131 on Hong Ha Street.
Goods stored on the first floor made the flames spread quickly. Five people, including the baby, were inside. Goods blocked the staircase and smoke filled the passage.
Giap and his colleagues fought the fire while opening a route upstairs. Plastic from his helmet melted onto his boot sole, forcing him to drag his feet as he moved.
On the upper floors, firefighters checked each area. They found one person in a bathroom and others on a balcony. Giap was assigned to carry the baby down.
After seven years of service and many entries into burning houses, Giap understands the importance of physical fitness. He trains with colleagues even at midday. “Without enough physical strength, it is hard to do the job well,” he said.
More than a week later, the rescued families came to the station to thank the firefighters. Giap said the successful rescues made the team proud of its work.
Sources: VnExpress
