By Sarah Calams
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — A correctional officer was in the right place at the right time when he spotted an apartment fire on his way home from work.
ABC10.com reported that San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Officer Jason Ellis was stopping at a grocery store on his way home from a night shift on April 21 when he noticed flames coming from a front porch across the street.
“The flames billowed from the sides of the porch and proceeded up the wall of the structure. He immediately dialed 911 to report the fire and gave them all of the necessary information,” the sheriff’s department said in a Facebook post.
Ellis was unable to approach the front door due to the flames, but he proceeded to yell outside to see if anyone was home. Once firefighters arrived on scene, the family members, who were asleep at the time, were evacuated from the home.
“Correctional Officer Ellis and his quick actions of identifying an emergency and summoning help saved the lives of many this particular morning,” the department’s Facebook post continued.