"I guess it's just instinct": Retired FDNY firefighter helps put out fire in overhead compartment on Spirit Airlines flight
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A retired FDNY firefighter came to the rescue mid-flight Wednesday.
He helped put out a fire on board a Spirit Airlines flight that made an emergency landing in Jacksonville, Florida.
Cellphone video inside the cabin shows Rocco Chirerichella and crew members dousing the overhead compartment.
The plane was headed from Dallas to Orlando when an overhead bin caught fire.
"I guess it's just instinct. I got to the, it was a baggage overhead and smoke was billowing out of it," Chirerichella said. "The whole cabin smoked up ... and I ripped open the door. One of the attendants came by. I yelled, 'Get some water.'"
Ten people, including crew members, had to be treated at a hospital after landing.
Firefighters believe a battery in a carry-on bag is to blame.