Fairfield police officer hailed hero after grabbing garden hose to stop house from catching fire

FAIRFIELD – A Fairfield police officer is being hailed a hero for saving a home from a possible disaster on July 4.

Officer David Neal with the Fairfield Police Department was called to Sherwood Court that holiday evening due to a backyard fence catching fire, believed to have been sparked by fireworks.

"I got there, I was working fireworks patrol responding to fire calls and fireworks calls," Neal said. "The winds that night were really strong in Fairfield, like they are, and I saw a ton of embers flying through the air."

Neal noticed those embers were landing on the roof of the home across the street.

He rushed over to the front door, his act of kindness caught on the home's doorbell camera, and knocked to alert the homeowner.

However, no one answered.

"I just thought, you know, there's a garden hose right here, I'll grab a hose and start hosing off their roof," Neal said.

He hosed the roof down until he was confident the embers were out and the fire across the street was more under control.

His fast thinking is credited for stopping what could have easily started another fire in a matter of minutes.

"Fires happen so quick and houses burn so quick, I just didn't want that to happen," Neal said.

The homeowner, Debra Allen, got to thank Officer Neal in person on Thursday at the Fairfield Police Department.

"I'm so grateful. I so appreciate it," said Allen hugging Neal.

She knows that considering how hot and windy the weather was that night, it would not have taken much for her home to catch fire.

"My house could have gone up. It was very scary," Allen told CBS13.

She was out of town that night for the July 4th holiday.

Having lived in this home for 40 years, she would have been devastated if it had gone up in flames.

"It's very emotional. My husband passed away a few years ago. All his stuff is in there and that would have been the most important thing I would have lost," Allen said.

She says Neal went well beyond his duty. She wanted to praise the officer whose humanity shined brightly beyond the badge.

"He didn't have to do that. He thought of saving my house and you just can't, there's no words for that," Allen said.

Her home was spared thanks to an officer who was in the right place at the right time, who simply did the right thing.

"If you see a need for something, just act on it. That's where I was in this situation. I saw a need and just moved to the need and reacted like anybody else would, hopefully," Neal said.