Woman jumped for life, thanks rescuers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Jill Rosso jumped from a second story window to escape a two-alarm fire at her North Buffalo apartment complex.

She has scars on her fingers from hanging onto the hot window frame before the jump from her apartment Friday morning at Delaware and Amherst Street.

David Sciumeca, who was outside of the building, recounted, "There was a girl that jumped out the window...right in front of me."

Rosso said, "It was so hot...so I jumped...I just jumped."

Off-duty firefighter Jeff Kane said, "She made the decision and it was better to get out than stay in."

RELATED | See the original story about the fire here

Rosso's apartment is where the fire started, with flames breaking out near her couch and air conditioner. She was still recovering from hernia surgery a few months ago and in the jump she landed on her back, and broke it in two places.

That's when Joe Bongiovanni stepped in. The off-duty agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration happened to be nearby and knew Rosso had a back injury.

"He dragged me and I tried to lay real still like he told me, to just put my hands by my side and not move my head. But he held my hand through it and that out of all of it was extraordinarily helpful," Rosso said.

Talisa King also stopped to help. She recalled, "Her body was like full of smoke and soot and her legs were burnt kind of bad so, I'm just hoping that everything works out and she pulls through."

Rosso is pulling through, even though she lost everything in that fire, including her two cats. But she is very thankful to Good Samaritans, like off-duty firefighters Jeff Kane, Bob Carnivale, and DEA agent Joe Bongiovanni.

"He was my hero," Rosso smiled.

The three-story building had about 50 people living it in the time of the fire. It has been declared uninhabitable, and until the damage is repaired, they have to find someplace else to stay.