Airman’s actions save neighbor’s home

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. William Powell
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  An Airman here recently extinguished a house fire that threatened to destroy a nearby Panama City home.

Master Sgt. Dave Delmar, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron’s noncommissioned officer in charge of plans and programs, used garden hoses to extinguish the fire, saving his neighbors’ home and most of their possessions.

“My neighbor’s 18-year-old son, Shaun, ran to my house screaming his house was on fire,” Sergeant Delmar said.

The sergeant then ran next door to the neighbor’s house and saw the living room engulfed in flames with thick black smoke billowing out the front door.

“I first made sure everyone was out of the house, which they were, and asked Shaun’s aunt to call 911,” he said. “Then I ran to the back of the house to retrieve a garden hose and entered the house through the back porch, which was the closest to the flames. I crouched as low as I could because the thick smoke and extreme heat were intense.”

Sergeant Delmar said he knew he had to act quickly or the fire could potentially destroy the home and possibly spread to other homes because of the strong midday winds.

“I pointed the hose at the base of the flames and told Shaun to get the second hose (from) outside,” he said.

To reduce harmful smoke inhalation, Sergeant Delmar ran home and retrieved a respirator he uses to paint cars. After donning the mask, he returned, grabbed both hoses and entered the house.

“I sprayed the fire until everything was extinguished, and I was shocked that I put it all out with the hoses,” he said.

Shortly after the fire was extinguished, local firefighters arrived and set up a fan to blow out the remaining black smoke.

Sergeant Delmar’s actions saved the house from catastrophic damage, but it was a risky endeavor, said Lt. Terry Raffield, local fire department chief.

“Sergeant Delmar got to the fire at the opportune time because if the fire gained any more strength, he wouldn’t have been able to put out the fire with garden hoses,” Lieutenant Raffield said. “He did an outstanding, courageous thing, and I know his neighbors must be happy, but if things had gotten worse, he could have been in serious trouble.”

The sergeant, who is also the squadron’s safety representative, said he did consider his personal safety but never felt his own life was at risk. He also attributes his success to years of fire extinguisher training obtained through the military.

He said he felt good being able to help his neighbors keep their home and most of their possessions.

“It was just natural instinct to help,” he said. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)