Music
23 May 16

Irish Rock Band Save Dozens From New Jersey Fire

Dissension Rising risk their lives to rescue over a dozen people, including an eight month old baby.

The Irish rock group Dissension Rising have been lauded for their efforts to save dozens of New Jersey natives from a house fire.

The rockers were in Atlantic City, New Jersey, sleeping at a friend's house when the blaze broke out at 5:30am. The band and their management helped people through the flames to safety, after they heard screams coming from a basement apartment.

18 year-old singer Danni Carroll, 21 year-old guitarist Keith Garrett, 17 year-old drummer Kian Johnston, 20 year-old guitarist Rob Higgins, 20, driver Justin Carroll and 57-year-old manager Dorothea Carroll raced to rescue four adults and five children who were trying to escape the escalating fire.

“The families and the fire brigade involved all kept saying to everyone if we had not been there or if we had not reacted when and how we did, 10 minutes later everyone would be dead from smoke inhalation,” remarked Justin Carroll.

“It was getting hard to see and breathe but once we knew we had everyone who was in the house downstairs we ran out. But we didn’t realise there was another family who lived in the basement until Danni shouted she could hear screams."

“Danni and Keith ran around the back of the house followed by myself and Mr Vasquez [the father of the family who lived upstairs]. We could hear screaming. There were flames at the rear of the house coming through the walls.

“We were met by a woman carrying a child. Danni asked if anyone else was in the house and she said,‘Yes, the kids are in there’. There was panic inside the apartment, which was quickly filling with smoke.

“A policeman had just arrived on the scene and the officer, Mr Vasquez and myself started getting people out of there and handing them over to Danni, Keith, Kian and Rob, who guided the women with babies and children to the car.

“They were in shock and the babies were crying. Rob and Kian stayed with them. It was chaos.”

Dissension Rising have committed to donating all their band merchanise sales to the family who were left homeless by the the fire.