UNC doctor jumps in to help neighbor out of burning home: 'It's part of being a good citizen'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Abhi Mehrotra was just taking his dog for a walk Friday afternoon before his shift started at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

But then that leisurely stroll turned into a chaotic scene for his South Durham neighborhood.

A fire engulfed a home in his community in the Hills at Southpoint subdivision off South Bend Drive.

"We saw black smoke and then it went up very quickly, I can't say as to how it would've started," said Mehrotra, medical director for the emergency department at UNC

Dr. Mehrotra soon found out that someone was inside.

"They came to the window and we told them, 'You probably need to come out of the house...this is a concerning sign,' and she stepped away from the door," he said.

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Mehrotra said he eventually coaxed the woman to the window as smoke started to build.

"I helped her take the screen off and come down from the window through the bushes," he said. "She put one leg out and then she said she was very nervous, and I just tried to bring her down as gently as I could, just me and her."

One firefighter was injured after part of the roof collapsed and was taken to UNC Medical Center where Dr. Mehrotra was heading for his shift.

"It's an interesting twist to a story but it's part of the job, it's what we do to serve the community in that way," he said. "It's part of being a good citizen and looking out for our neighbors, and that's what we do."

The injured firefighter, who has been with the department since 2018, was released from the hospital Friday night and is home resting.