Hero residents talk about fighting back house fire
AUSTIN, Texas - Ryan Holley never gave it a second thought. He grabbed his garden hose and fought the fire that gutted his neighbor's home.
"I just threw it over and started spraying, that is about all I could do,” said Holley.
Holley's wife took a picture as he sprayed water on the Englewood Dr. house next to the one that was already engulfed in flames Friday night.
"I remember turning and looking at my wife, going I don’t know if I can stay here that much longer, just because how hot it was radiating off of the house and everything."
The heat melted nearby garbage bins and even caused shingles on houses next door to curl up. Holley's efforts did provided just enough time for fire fighters to keep the flames from jumping to the other house.
"You don’t really think much about it when you are in the moment, you really don't. There were like two explosions,” said Holley.
Moments earlier, Holley says two other neighbors ran by him. One went into the burning house and guided out the homeowners- a husband and wife. Later that night- AFD Division Chief Palmer Buck described the rescue.
"This gentleman saw the fire from his home, hopped a fence, actually kicked out some fence pickets to help out these two elderly couple out. fantastic job,” said Buck.
The man who residents believe came to the rescue of the couple was not home when we stopped by to get a comment. He reportedly did have a brief conversation with the people he saved.
"What they told us is, he asked for a glass of water, he drank it, and disappeared,” said Buck.
Ryan Holley offered his thoughts about that dash into the flames.
"It’s amazing, amazing and hard to go and do something like that, you just do the right thing, you don’t think about it, you are saving lives, that’s a very rare thing, some people just not know what to do, but just don’t think about it, react and do the right thing, I think that’s amazing, I really do,” said Holley.
The couple who lost their home is staying with family members. Neighbors here say they are now trying to figure out how they can help their friends rebuild or relocate.