During the thunderstorms Sunday morning, Shiner Police Officers Sgt. Chris Kalina and Officer William Miller responded to a report of a house fire. The sole occupant inside the house was trapped in a bedroom and unable to get out on her own. Officers heard the woman calling out and quickly determined her location inside the burning home. Using his firefighting knowledge and experience, Sgt. Kalina quickly assessed the life-threatening situation and broke out a window to help the elderly person escape. Sgt. Kalina instructed the victim to crawl on the floor to the sound of his voice, and he and Officer Miller were able to safely extract her. The victim was transported to Yoakum Community Hospital. Sgt. Kalina, also a member of the Shiner Volunteer Fire Department, then assisted other arriving SVFD firefighters in extinguishing the fire. The home suffered major damage from the fire, smoke and water and the cause of the fire was believed to a direct lightning strike.
