An Ohio man says he and his pets are alive today because of the selfless actions of the good Samaritan who saved them. When fire engulfed a Union home at around 4 p.m. Wednesday, the homeowner was in the shower and was completely unaware of the impending threat to himself and his pets.
Fortunately for them, a passerby noticed smoke billowing from the home. Pedro Ortiz Pico said he knew time was of the essence when he saw a cloud of smoke and embers emanating from the burning structure, so rather than waiting for help, he made a spit-second decision to act. Pico said that when he heard dogs barking from inside the home he couldn’t wait for help to arrive.
Running into the burning building, he located the homeowner, helped him to round up his pets, and assisted them in evacuating the house.
“I tried to break the windows and tried to save the dogs,” he said. “When I went inside the house, the person that lives inside came out of the shower.”
“A passerby saw smoke and helped the home owner evacuate,” said Union Director of Public Safety Mike Blackwell.
Pico also grabbed a hose from the back yard and tried to extinguish the flames himself before firefighters arrived. When they did, the kind-hearted stranger did not seek praise for his actions: instead, the humble hero expressed relief at knowing that the homeowner and his dogs were spared from a painful demise.
“Houses you can build again,” he said.
Blackwell said the cause of the fire was still undetermined. Officials said they believe it originated in the garage of the home.
