{"id":13931,"date":"2016-04-25T18:48:09","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T18:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=13931"},"modified":"2016-04-25T18:48:09","modified_gmt":"2016-04-25T18:48:09","slug":"off-duty-firefighter-helps-save-woman-from-house-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=13931","title":{"rendered":"Off-Duty Firefighter Helps Save Woman from House Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch the report HERE\u203a\u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

In uniform or, as his wife\u2019s cell phone video shows, in a T-shirt and shorts, Captain Mike Smith with the Stockton Fire Department is always on-duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that we do. It\u2019s more in our blood than anything else,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Smith told FOX40 that he was on vacation with family this weekend in Southern California.<\/p>\n

During their family reunion, his sister saw a huge plume of smoke \u2014 a house was on fire. He grabbed his daughter\u2019s boyfriend, Jake Tibbits, who is a volunteer firefighter in Illinois and the off-duty duo headed down the street, toward the billowing smoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust kind of a natural reaction, we thought that we might be there before the fire department gets there and be able to help out,\u201d he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

When the fire caused something to spark and pop, neighbors ran away, but with 23 years of experience, Smith went toward the danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe almost always go towards it,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was a lady sleeping in the back room, carried her out and she mentioned that her dogs were still in the house so Jacob grabbed the three dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Firefighters arrived soon after.<\/p>\n

Within moments, in T-shirts and shorts, alongside geared up firemen, off- and on-duty firefighters continued to fight the flames.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot all surprised especially with Mike Smith. I would have expected nothing less from him,\u201d said Captain John Votaw with the Stockton Fire Department.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s actions have made the rounds on social media, making him somewhat of a reluctant celebrity,<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a natural reaction to help those guys out,\u201d Smith\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

He insisted if it was any other firefighter they would have done the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everybody once they take that position they\u2019re on duty 24 hours a day,\u201d Votaw said.<\/p>\n

Smith said that even though he was not geared up, he would not put Tibbets nor himself in any danger. The two were not injured while fighting the fire in T-shirts and shorts.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"