"Had no idea there was a fire going on:" Man grabs garden hose to put out blaze at neighbor's home



SOUTH MILWAUKEE -- Quick action by a South Milwaukee man may have saved five lives. Risking his own safety, he ran to safety into a burning home and even captured some of it on camera.



"I looked at the side of the house and it was totally in flames," said Chris Rodriquez.

Before firefighters arrived at a South Milwaukee home, it was just Chris Rodriquez, and a garden hose.

Chris Rodriquez



"Somebody had a spray nozzle on the garden hose and I pulled the trigger and it was spraying," said Rodriquez.

Rodriquez was driving home around 3:00 a.m. Monday, when he spotted the fire coming from the rear of a neighbor's house.

"I pounded on the front door probably about seven times," said Rodriquez.

Rodriquez shot video as he entered through a side door -- calling out to the family while dousing the fire with water.

"I put the majority of the flames that were visible in the hallways out, but I knew there was flames in the wall still," said Rodriquez.

Rodriquez called 911 while still fighting the flames.

911 Operator: "Do you know if people are inside of it?"
Rodriquez: "Yes. A family just came out with their baby. I pounded on their door and they came out."



Until Rodriquez pounded on the door, the family was asleep.

In the room next to where he was putting out the flames, was a three-month-old baby.

"They had no idea there was a fire going on," said Rodriquez.



By the time fire engines arrived there were hardly any flames. Firefighters snuffed out what was left quickly.

A police officer told Rodriquez the outcome could have been much worse for the family.

"The woman came and talked to me and she said thank you," said Rodriquez.

Rodriquez says he just did what he thought was right.



"I would just hope that anybody would do that, but I don't think I'm a hero. I was in the right place at the right time to help a family," said Rodriquez.

The family tells FOX6 News they are extremely grateful. The fire department suspects the fire started in a wall. Rodriquez was told it had likely been smoldering for some time before he arrived.