The Fire:
George: I was trying to lead the way. We needed a leader! Someone to lead the way to safety.
George's Girlfriend: But you yelled ‘Get out of my way!’
George: Because, because, as the leader, if I die, then all hope is lost. Who would lead? The clown? Huh? Instead of castigating me, you should all be thanking me. What kind of topsy-turvy world do we live in where heroes are cast as villains, brave men as cowards?
Girlfriend: But I saw you push the women and children out of the way in a mad panic. I saw you knock them down. And when you ran out, you left everyone behind.
George: Seemingly, seemingly, to the untrained eye, I can fully understand how you got that impression. What looked like pushing, what looked like knocking down, was a safety precaution. In a fire, you stay close to the ground. Am I right? Whoa! And when I ran out that door, I was not leaving anyone behind. Quite the contrary. I risked my life making sure that exit was clear. Any other questions?
Fireman: How do you live with yourself?
George: It’s not easy.
Later on
George: She doesn’t want to see me anymore.
Jerry: Did you knock her over too, or just the kids?
George: No, her too. And her mother.
Jerry: Really, her mother?
George: Yeah, I may have stepped on her arm too.
Jerry: You probably couldn’t see because of the smoke.
George: Yeah. But it was somebody’s arm.
Jerry: So, what was the fire, just a couple of greasy hamburgers?
George: Yeah, Eric the clown put it out with his big shoe