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Two officers rescue woman found asleep amid house fire in Merrimac
A resident called 911 after seeing heavy smoke and flames coming from a home in Merrimac early Wednesday morning.
Two police officers rescued a woman who was found asleep amid a growing house fire in Merrimac this week.
Just after 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, a resident saw smoke coming from a house and immediately dialed 911, according to a statement from Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shears.
The resident who initially alerted police, Jeff Strogney, told CBS Boston that the flames were between 10 and 15 feet tall. He saw that there were lights on in the house on Bear Hill Road and tried banging on a door to alert anyone inside. No one answered, and he called 911.
Two officers, identified as Paul DeCoste and Adam White, responded to the scene. The pair found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. They tried to enter through a front door, but the smoke forced them back, Shears said.
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The officers moved to a second entrance, and DeCoste kicked a door open. The pair had reason to believe that as many as four people could be inside the home at the time. They only found one resident, a woman who was asleep in her bedroom. The two officers woke her up, confirmed that she was the only person inside the building, and brought her to safety, according to Shears.
“Both officers should be commended for their courageous response,” Shears said. “Thank you to everyone involved for keeping our community safe and to Jeff Strogney for making the call to 911.”
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