(UPDATED by Radio Iowa) – Glenwood Fire Chief Matt Gray is praising three construction workers for rescuing a family from their burning home early Tuesday afternoon. “These guys are heroes, no other words that can describe what they did. They sacrificed themselves to go in and save these four people in this house,” Gray says. “It was a fast moving fire — hot fire, too.” Gray says the men entered through the front door, realized the fire was spreading quickly in that area of the house, so they helped three of the people inside get out through the back.

“Once they got out there, the mother told them that her son was on the second story. They tried to make entry, could not get back in due to the heat and the fire,” Gray says. “…There was a trampoline. He was over by the window. They were able to use the trampoline, push it up against the house and get the child out.” A mother, her son and daughter and the grandmother of the children were rescued. The mother and son were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. All three of the construction workers suffered burns and two of them — Gabe Record and Damien Pond — went to the hospital in someone’s personal vehicle for treatment. Gray says the third rescuer — John Lewis — has minor burns. Gray says the fire spread into the walls and attics of the home quickly. Flames had reached the roof when Glenwood firefighters arrived. “It was strong work done by all of the departments that were there — Oak Township, Silver City, Malvern,” Gray says. “They did a heck of a job.”

Gray says it appears an electrical issue sparked the fire and the home is a total loss.