Going above and beyond: A Mequon police officer's life-saving mission

MEQUON (WITI) -- His job is to protect our community and this week a Mequon police officer went above and beyond the call of duty.

The home is now boarded up but the smell of fire still lingers.

It was around 8 a.m. on Monday morning, Mequon Police Officer, John Hoell had just started his shift. A call came in for a garage fire. Officer Hoell was first on the scene.

"When I got to the residence, I could see heavy smoke coming out and the neighbors were outside yelling to me there was somebody still inside the house," said Hoell.

Officer Hoell didn't think twice jumping into action, he pushed passed the flames and busted down the front door.

From the aftermath you can tell just how bad the fire was.

"I just started yelling for anybody in the house and I came down a hallway and at that time a bedroom door started opening up and there was a woman standing there, quite startled because first of all I'm in her house, and the house is full of smoke," said Hoell.

The flames so hot they burned through the roof, taking down parts of the house.

The two made it out unharmed, but the homeowner could have died if not for Officer Hoell who took serving and protecting to a whole new level.

"That's what we do, what the police do, we're here to help," said Hoell.

The homeowner says she was burning some papers in her fireplace on Sunday and when they were extinguished, she put the ashes in a bag and put that bag in the garage.

The police report shows the fire's origin was in the garage.