Letter Carrier Dwight Washington was recently delivering mail in an Abington, PA, neighborhood when he spotted a house on fire.
Washington leapt into action, rushing to pound on the front door and also alert neighbors, who called 911.
The Postal Service employee located a fire extinguisher and a garden hose, and he battled the blaze while the home’s occupants — who had been asleep — escaped to safety.
Emergency responders soon arrived and took over.
Abington Fire Marshal John Rohrer later mailed a letter to the local Post Office.
“Had the fire gone unchecked for a few more minutes, the outcome could have been devastating,” Rohrer wrote. “Due to Mr. Washington’s quick, responsible actions, the fire was contained, the residents were saved from harm and the home was deemed to be inhabitable, restoring some normalcy to the family’s life.”
A civic commendation for Washington is in the works.