Firefighters pulled an unconscious man from his burning home Monday morning on the west side.
Crews responded to the house just before 9 a.m. after calls reporting smoke near Grande and Ontario.
When they arrived, smoke was coming out of the house on both sides. Firefighters went inside the home to look for the source of the flames, but when the smoke got heavier, they were forced to retreat.
Just as they were about to exit the house, two firefighters made a life saving discovery. Tucson Fire Captain Barrett Baker said the smoke intensified in the house suddenly and it became too dangerous for the firefighters.
"We were getting ready to pull out at that time when they found the patient, and in this case, that really could have meant the difference between life and death," Baker said.
The man fire crews rescued is being treated for smoke inhalation. He is expected to make a full recovery, but the house is a total loss. There was also a dog in the house at the time, but the dog survived.
At this point, firefighters are not sure exactly what sparked the fire.
