house fire

Off-duty Raleigh firefighter on way to a party sees smoke, evacuates house, helps put fire out

ByLucy Collins WTVD logo

Monday, August 1, 2022

Off-duty firefighter sees smoke coming from house, helps put fire out

Off-duty Raleigh firefighter sees a burning house while driving to a birthday party, gets family out and helps put out the flames.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- When a Raleigh man and his wife, who were on their way to a birthday party, saw smoke billowing from a house they couldn't just drive by and keep going. The couple stopped.

The woman called 911 while the man got the family out, and stayed to help put out the flames. The Good Samaritan is a firefighter.

Michael Fox, Local 548 Raleigh Professional Firefighter Association member, is the firefighter who spotted the burning home.

"I was driving to a friend's son's birthday party and my wife noticed a house that had a lot of smoke coming from it. When I saw it we immediately pulled into the neighborhood and pulled up in front of the house, saw that it was on fire and while my wife called 911 I ran to the house, alerted the family, let them know that their house was on fire and that they needed to get out." Michael Fox recalled.

After he safely escorted the family to a neighbor's home he waited for the fire department to arrive and then immediately offered his assistance.

"I let them know that I was also a firefighter and that I could help out. They handed me some of the fire hose and I ran with it and connected it to the fire hydrant and helped them that way." Fox said.

Nobody was hurt thanks to Michael and his wife's quick thinking.

"When we saw that there was a fire it was only natural that I did something to act because like any firefighter would do I just selflessly put myself in harm's way to preserve life and property." Fox said as he recalled the event.

Michael Fox says he's grateful he was in the right place at the right time and was able to help prevent the fire from doing more damage.