A police officer in Tennessee is being hailed as a hero for his courageous act of saving a mother and her two children from a burning home earlier this month.
The Chattanooga Police Department reported that Officer Rogers was the first to arrive at the scene on May 1, beating the fire department to the location.
Upon arrival, Officer Rogers was met with a daunting sight: a two-story house with flames consuming the front door and spreading across both the exterior and interior walls of the upper floor. The fire was also rapidly advancing into the attic.
The Chattanooga Fire Department was later able to extinguish the blaze at the two-story residence. (Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Fire Department)
After learning from neighbors that there were still individuals trapped inside, Rogers acted swiftly. He entered the burning structure to save a woman and two children and subsequently used a fire extinguisher to tackle the flames on the porch.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries,” the department shared in a Facebook post that included bodycam footage of the incident. Although not trained as a firefighter, Rogers has been commended for his outstanding service, with the department expressing pride in having such dedicated officers and extending their gratitude for his commitment to the safety of the community.
Bodycam footage from the Chattanooga Police Department shows an officers rescuing a mother and two children from an apartment fire. (Chattanooga Police Department)
According to WTVC, Rogers carried 4-year-old Marlowe to safety while her mother, Rachel Blaylock, followed with her 10-year-old son, Charles.
“I keep thinking back: ‘How was I going to get two kids down the stairs?’” Blaylock told WTVC. “He just grabs [Marlowe], and he was willing to go back in. I was trying to tell him that no one else was there, but he was already going back up.”
An officer with the Chattanooga Police Department is seen trying to extinguish flames during a house fire. (Chattanooga Police Department)
The Chattanooga Fire Department confirmed the blaze was knocked down within 20 minutes and that the Red Cross is now assisting the residents. An online fundraiser noted that the Blaylock home was destroyed and the family lost all of their belongings.
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