Santa Monica trio honored as Hometown Heroes for dramatic apartment fire rescue
Three Santa Monica residents who risked their lives to rescue an elderly woman from a burning apartment were formally recognized by the American Red Cross last month at the 20th Annual Hometown Heroes Awards Luncheon, held aboard the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach.
Stephanie Inouye, Jeff Jarow and Trevor Nichols were honored during the sold-out event, which drew more than 400 attendees including first responders, veterans, elected officials and community leaders. Their lifesaving actions during an October 2023 fire on Euclid Street were cited by Red Cross officials as a shining example of community spirit, teamwork and selflessness in the face of danger.
All three had been attending a neighborhood block party that Sunday afternoon when they noticed black smoke rising from a nearby apartment complex in the 1300 block of Euclid Street. Nichols, an off-duty paramedic and firefighter trained as a set medic, immediately ran toward the source, crawling through thick smoke under the heat layer to reach the unit's resident.
“She was trying to put the fire out,” Nichols later told Red Cross staff. “She had some, not life-threatening burns, but you could see her skin was badly burned. I asked if there were any kids inside, and she said no. She didn’t want to leave because of her cats, but I got her out and didn’t let her go back in.”
The Santa Monica Fire Department was dispatched at 1:53pm that day and arrived within minutes. Engine 4 was the first on scene and crews were able to confine the blaze to a balcony before it could spread to neighboring units. All four of the woman’s cats were later rescued by firefighters. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fire Prevention Division.
While Nichols was assisting the primary resident, Inouye and Jarow ran into the building to check on others. Jarow found an elderly woman in a nearby apartment and helped open the door. Inouye crouched down and carried the woman on her back down two flights of stairs while Jarow, who has a back injury, held onto both to steady them during the descent.
“I literally said to her, ‘We have to leave,’” Inouye said. “In that moment, time just kind of stops and you don’t think. You just act. You feel your heart racing and you know it has to happen now.”
The event at the Queen Mary served not only as a celebration of the three residents’ courage but also as a major milestone for the Red Cross’s Hometown Heroes program, now in its 20th year. It also coincided with the organization’s 40th anniversary of honoring everyday Angelenos whose actions have saved lives or exemplified humanitarian values.
“It was overwhelming,” Inouye told the Daily Press. “They treated us like royalty. It felt like going to the Oscars, red carpet, flickering cameras, everyone wanting to take your picture. But it was also deeply humbling to be surrounded by so many others who had done amazing things, from veterans to nurses to people performing CPR on strangers.”
Inouye was seated at a front-row table alongside other Santa Monica representatives, including Fire Chief Matthew Hallock, Lindsay Call, Chief Resilience Officer from the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Jim Harris, Executive Director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. Though the three honorees were seated at separate tables, Inouye said they reunited after the luncheon to walk the ship and reflect on the day.
“I was lucky to be at a table with some of the event sponsors from the California Resources Corporation and a really nice woman from the Red Cross,” she said. “But we all eventually found each other again and toured the Queen Mary. Jeff brought his son and Trevor came too. It was a really nice way to close out the day.”
The trio received Lucite awards etched with the phrase “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage,” as well as medals and official commendations from the California State Assembly, the City of Long Beach and the office of State Senator Ben Allen. A video presentation produced by the Red Cross included a reenactment of the fire and interviews with all three, which played just before they took the stage to accept their awards.
Nichols downplayed his role, saying he simply did what anyone with his training should have done. In a previous statement, he said, “I did what I feel like a decent person with my level of training would and should do. I’m just so happy it turned out the way it did.”
Jarow echoed that sentiment when he recounted the rescue to the Daily Press. “She wanted to go back in because she had four cats in there. We didn’t let her,” he said. “I was able to open the door across the hallway, because this woman was very old, and I put her on top of Stephanie’s back. But I had to hold on to them both because I didn’t want Stephanie to fall forwards down the stairs.”
Fire officials praised the residents’ quick thinking and coordination, noting that their efforts likely saved lives and allowed emergency responders to focus on containing the blaze and checking for extension.
“Excellent communications from Fire Com and interagency assistance from SMPD in quickly shutting down the street allowed SMFD resources to quickly mitigate the incident,” the department said in a statement.
Inouye, who also runs the Santa Monica Helping Hub, says the program remains active via Instagram and is still assisting fire victims through pop-ups and partnerships. Though its physical location has closed, the nonprofit is seeking a new home and welcomes community support, volunteers and donations.
scott.snowden@smdp.com