BLOOMINGTON - The firefighters were nearly blind as they crawled through the smoke-filled hallway.

Bloomington Fire Capt. David Burke grabbed the pant leg of the man in front of him to keep in contact as they searched with a thermal camera and flashlights for a boy still inside the burning home. The fire in the lower level had pushed smoke to the upper floor of the split-level residence, he said.

Firefighter Mark Langellier was in the lead when he spotted a door ahead, Burke said. But Burke said to hold on after he felt a door off to his side.

The side door led to the bathroom, and Capt. Les Siron spotted with his flashlight the unconscious 4-year-old boy just inside the door, said Burke, who carried the youngster as the men retraced their route to get outside.

Burke, Siron, Langellier and fellow firefighter Joshua Rich recently received lifesaving commendations for their roles in the Jan. 12, 2007, fire at the home on Bainbridge Lane. Rich was on the lower level, using a fire hose to contain the flames while the three others searched the upper floor.

The boy, Ayden Van Hook, and his great-grandfather, Elijah "Joe" Rusk, were hospitalized after the fire. Rusk is a retired police officer who tried to fight the fire with a garden hose before firefighters arrived. Both recovered.

"Every guy who responded to that call and was on the scene should be proud of that outcome," said Burke adding, "You just can't work alone here."

And Burke said it is humbling to know the men saved the boy's life.

"You can't single out one guy," Burke said. "Everybody did something."

Assistant Fire Chief Gary Sushka recommended citations for the men, saying he looks at those under his command as heroes while adding he is glad the department started the commendation program in 2007.

"The harder you work around here, the luckier you get," Sushka said.

And the assistant chief described Burke as "one of the hardest-working guys we've got here." He said the fire rescue was the captain's second in 1½ years, with Burke being on the leading end of crews that went inside both times.

The earlier incident occurred in September 2005 when firefighters pulled an unconscious Illinois Wesleyan University student from a fraternity house; Burke said that student has stopped by the fire department at least three times to meet with the crew.

As for the young boy, Burke said he would love to say "hi" to him. He said the boy will probably hear the story of what happened, but he isn't likely old enough to understand the seriousness of what took place.

The city's fire administration also has issued another unit citation to five firefighters for their work on a medical call on Feb. 13, 2007, at Hilltop Mobile Home Park. Those honored were Capt. Steve Guisti and firefighters Steve Petrovics, Jeff Day, Joe Hoeniges and Kevin Kutchma.

In that incident, snow drifts near the home were nearly 4 feet deep and heavy snow was falling when an ambulance became stuck in one of the drifts, according to the department. The ambulance crew went to the home and began caring for a person suffering from breathing difficulty. Firefighters from a truck also dispatched worked to free the ambulance from the snow.

The patient stopped breathing while on the way to the hospital, but stabilized before reaching the hospital, according to the department. That person also recovered.