big sur fire chief martha karstens is among those who lost their homes. >> until it happens to you, youeel sorry for them. literally, i went out to fight a fire. i had my purse, my cell phone and my glasses. and i didn't know i was going to be trying to save my own home. >> amazingly, there are no injuries reported from the fire and cruise hope to contain it by friday. the cause still under investigation. >>> now, to simple a will be amazing story from right here in new york city where a blind man named cecil williams was on a subway platform when he fell on to the tracks. the train was fast approaching. his seeing eye dog orlando was at his side. the dog tried to pull cecil back, but it didn't work. the dog fell on to the tracks, too. obviously they could have been seriously hurt. this is the amazing part. both are okay, despite having the train roll over top of them. >> he was all the way at the edge. backwards. and the dog was trying to pull him in. i tried to scream at him to come in, he was near the tracks. >> and then he fell. >> down to the tracks. >> and the dog? >> and the dog,

the fire has destroyed 22 buildings including the home of fire chief martha karstens. >> well, you know do our clearing as we're supposed to do. i try to set a good example of that. we had good clearing. it came up so fast, a steep hill, it was a windy night. there was wind from the fire. whether it's me or anyone else, it's just devastating. i've seen people lose their homes on the news and until it happens to you, to stand there and watch your home burn, it's just -- it's not what you want to do. >> the dry conditions are fueling the fire. big sur had gotten only about 16% of its normal rainfall this year. >>> a canadian construction crane operator is recuperating this morning after a dramatic rescue. a massive fire broke out in an apartment building under construction in kingston, ontario, on tuesday. unable to escape, the operator scaled the crane, and that's when the canadian military chopper pulled him to safety. he suffered only minor injuries. >>> now, straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. >>> and later, subway hero. a guide dog helps his blind owner after he tumbles o

. >> reporter: martha karstens, chief of the big sur volunteer fire brigade, is one of those whose home burned to the ground. >> when i found out, rather than responding to the incident i had to stay here. >> reporter:karsten's home and most of the others lost to the wind-driven fire so far, are up there on pheiffer ridge road where the battle was focused for much of tuesday. on a hilltop across the canyon, garrett cooper cleared brush from the hillside beneath his home. >> stoping the winds will come from the southwest and from jumping over the canyon. >> reporter:a small army of firefighters is on the job.cutting lines and starting backfires near pheiffer state park to keep the flames from jumping east across highway one. the enemies are the wind and tinder dry fuel >> reporter:the likes of which martha karstens hasn't seen in all her 43 years as a resident of big sur. >> it has been so dry and not very much rain. i, it is beyond my competition. >> reporter:the village of big sur is covered in ash, smoke from the fire is drifting north to monterey and beyond. in big sur rob fladeboe k

martha karstens is chief of the big sur volunteer fire department. >> i can't remember if we've ever had a fire in december. we had earlier -- in the beginning, like in april or may, but december, no. christmas around the corner? no. >> reporter: karstens' home was one of those lost in the unusually dry forest. the fire spread with such speed, it even surprised the fire chief. >> i have no idea how it was even started. it was just everything is dry, ready to burn. >> reporter: 16-year-old fabian perez tried to save his home. >> me and my dad ran out, we got fire hoses, we started fighting the blaze but it was too late. i've lived there my whole life and it's gone in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: with a slight chance of rain tomorrow, firefighters in big sur may get some help from nature, but california is set to end this year with rainfall at a record low and the possibility of fire season stretching well into the new year. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. >> pelley: as we said, the fire is unusual in the fall and today government scientists told us that last month was t

big sur fire chief martha karsten lost her own home to the blaze. >> it's very personal and when you see on the news other homes burning down and other fires you sympathize, but when it happens to you, it still has not sunk in. >> reporter: the flames were too much for 16-year-old fabian perez and his family, who also lost their home. >> me and my dad right now, we got fire hoses, started fighting the blaze, but it was too late basically. i lived there my whole life and it's gone in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: big sur is about 150 mile ls south of san francisco. it boasts some of california's most spectacular coastline. the area has not burned since 2008. firefighters expect to get the upper handle on this fire today and tomorrow thanks to lower winds and cooler temperatures. the cause of the fire is still unknown. for "cbs this morning," ben tracy, los angeles. >>> a big surprise this morning for health conscious americans. more than half of us take vitamin and mineral supplements but some of the nation's top doctors say billions of dollars are being spent for nothing. >> the