'They're amazing': Sydney, N.S., woman praises firefighters after dramatic rescue

Shannon Burke is still shaken after she and her son narrowly escaped a fire at their apartment building in Sydney, N.S., Wednesday morning.

"I went to reheat my coffee, and I noticed flames outside my kitchen window,” Burke said. “Then, I realized the place was on fire."

The fire happened shortly before 7:30 a.m.

Burke ran to get her 16-year-old son Liam out of bed.

"When I was banging on my son's door, I could already hear the sirens."

By then, the two were trapped in their upstairs unit.

"By the time we got there, there was no way we could get out the front door,” she said.

Fire crews arrived from Sydney stations a few kilometres away.

They had to act quickly.

"We had to go out the balcony, and down a ladder,” Burke said. “The firemen actually had to come up and collect us. We managed to get out, and they went back in and they saved my cat."

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Deputy Fire Chief Chris March said the fire started in a downstairs unit of the building.

He added that given what crews have to deal with, during some of the worst outcomes, a rescue like this means a lot.

"We'd prefer never to turn a wheel because if we're going out the door someone is having probably the worst day of their life,” March said. “But we know we have to be going, so to go and have a successful outcome as this and saving some lives is just really morale-boosting."

"They're amazing,” Burke said. “I didn't think they would be able to get here that quickly or get us out that quickly. I was worried that we might actually be trapped and that something bad might happen."

Burke said though the experience was traumatizing, she and her child are doing well considering.

They didn't lose much and they hope to be able to stay in their apartment.

However, she says the family in the downstairs unit wasn't as lucky.

“They pretty much lost everything,” Burke said.

She said a few people have already come forward with donations for the family.

"They are good people, and they could use the assistance,” she said.

After their own narrow escape, Burke wanted to share her story to express her gratitude.

"I have a big respect for firefighters, and now even more so,” she said.

The fire marshal's office was on scene investigating Thursday.