Man dubbed 'flying hero' for helping firefighters extinguish blaze

A man who actively cooperated with firefighters to extinguish a fire in a housing estate in Guangzhou's Panyu district, Guangdong province, has recently hit the social media spotlight and become popular among residents and netizens.

And many local netizens gave "likes" after the scene of "aerial firefighting" of Ye Jinfeng was captured by neighbors and posted online. Ye was praised by citizens and regarded as a "flying hero".

In the picture, Ye is seen kneeling on one knee, shouldering the fire hose, and aiming the water stream through the air toward the flames in another building.

Ye Jinfeng, who actively cooperates with firefighters to extinguish fire in a housing estate in Guangzhou's Panyu district is regarded as a "flying hero" by locals and netizens. （Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn）

Ye said he has been a member of the Communist Party of China for years, and it is natural for him to rush forward without hesitation in the face of danger.

"Although the ignition point was not in my own building, I couldn't do nothing once I saw it. At that time, I had only one thought: how to help extinguish the fire," he told local media.

Ye said the main function of his aerial water spray is to suppress the fire, prevent it from spreading upwards, and ultimately, it is the firefighters who finally put out the fire.

"The aerial firefighting" can be carried out for two reasons, he said.

One is that the two buildings are close together, while another is that the floor where the fire broke out is slightly lower than his apartment, which makes it feasible to extinguish the fire by air, added Ye.

Ye Jinfeng, who actively cooperates with firefighters to extinguish fire in a housing estate in Guangzhou's Panyu district is regarded as a "flying hero" by locals and netizens. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The incident took place in the evening on Aug 11 when a high-rise residential building caught fire.

When Ye found the fire, he quickly activated the fire hydrant on his own floor, with the assistance of neighbors, and led the fire hose to the balcony of his home. Ye held the water gun tightly and aimed at the ignition point to perform "aerial firefighting".

Under strong water pressure, Ye gritted his teeth and persisted for nearly 20 minutes.

The fire was finally brought under control when firefighters arrived on the scene, with no casualties being reported.