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67-Year-Old Woman Jumps From Burning Historic Home In Grafton

GRAFTON (CBS) - A 67-year-old woman jumped to safety from the second floor of her burning historic home in Grafton on Wednesday morning.

Originally, only police responded to the home on Oak Street after someone there called 911 just before 6 a.m. and then quickly hung up.

Upon arrival, Officer Mark Benoit and Sgt. Michael Mazzola of the Grafton Police Department saw a lot of thick smoke and a fire burning in the back of the home.

They first tried to enter the home through the front door, but were confronted by a fire ball.

Instead, the officers moved to the back of the home, where they heard a thud and found Sandra Brawn sprawled out across the deck, which was also on fire. Brawn, a school librarian who lived at the home alone, had jumped from the second floor to escape.

Benoit and Mazzola then pulled Brawn across the street to safety as firefighters arrived.

Brawn hurt her hip, head and back in the fall, and also took in a lot of smoke. She was taken to the hospital and should remain there at least through Thursday.

Benoit actually saved a different woman from a fire on Airport Road in Grafton back in January. Mazzola was also on scene that day.

"Just trying to do the job the best I can," said Benoit.

The home, known as the B. Goddard House, was built in 1857. It was severely damaged in the fire and will likely be a total loss.

Brawn's late husband was a captain in the Grafton Fire Department, while her stepson is a fire lieutenant who was among the personnel to respond to the home Wednesday.

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