Hollywood actor Henry Winkler thanks FFs after hotel fire evacuation

By Robert Higgs
cleveland.com
(TNS)

DUBLIN, Ireland — When a fire broke out Wednesday at the historic Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, first responders didn’t know they’d be rescuing the Fonz.

Among the guests who were evacuated was Henry Winkler, aka the Fonz from the U.S. sitcom “Happy Days.”

“Thank you Dublin’s fire department. ... Our hotel was evacuated on our first morning!!!” the actor posted to X, formerly Twitter, while posing for a picture with members of Dublin Fire Brigade.

Winkler was in Ireland promoting his memoir, according to the BBC.

Dublin first responders were called about mid-morning, local time, for the blaze in the city’s center. Six engines were sent to the scene to extinguish the fifth-floor fire and protect staff and guests.

The blaze at the historic hotel, known as The Grand Dame of Dublin, was brought under control in less than an hour.

Winkler told Irish state broadcaster RTÉ that he was woken by what he thought was an alarm clock but realized it was the fire alarm going off, the BBC said.

The first responders, he said, are among his “favorite human beings. Firemen and firewomen. They run in when other people are running out.”

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