''He could almost open one eye a little bit, and I was sitting there holding his hand, and he slowly lifted his finger to his chest,'' Acting Fire Chief Gary Auffart said. ''I thought he was scratching his chest, and, in his condition, that would be good.
''But he took his thumb and slowly made a K. Then he spelled out kid. He wanted to know how the kid was. It was almost like a movie.
''I told him she had been rescued and was OK, and I could tell he was relieved.''
Chief Auffart said Lt. Ware was having trouble breathing and suffered severe burns on most of his body. He also broke his arm when he fell from a fourth floor window while fighting a fire Saturday in North Fairmount.
''The main problem right now is his ventilation,'' Chief Auffart said. ''He's having a lot of problems with his lungs.''
Three other firefighters were injured trying to save Genine Gray, who was screaming for help near the fourth-floor window.
Daniel Boller Jr. and Tyrone Norman were treated and released from the hospital. Joseph ''Tony'' Lehman was in fair condition Sunday at University Hospital with burns on his hands and face.
''I respect his decision to jump from the window,'' Mr. Lehman said. ''When you're in something like that, all you're thinking about is you want to make it through the day and you want to see the wife and kids.''
Genine and her mother, Latasha Gray, 22, were staying in a hotel Sunday, courtesy of the Red Cross. The fire was caused by food left cooking on the stove.
FELLOW FIREFIGHTER KNOWS WARE'S PAIN
SIXTH SENSE WARNED OF DANGER
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FOUR FIREFIGHTERS HURT IN RESCUE Aug. 31, 1997
HOW IT HAPPENED (96K GIF) Aug. 31, 1997
