A Sumner, Washington man is being hailed as a hero after he extinguished a fire that threatened two homes, responding to the blaze while completely unclothed. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 5, shortly after Fourth of July fireworks celebrations.
According to reports, the man, identified as Wesley Howard, was awakened by his neighbor who alerted him to flames visible between their properties. Upon seeing the fire, which had originated from smoldering fireworks in the neighbor's garbage can, Howard's Navy training prompted immediate action.
He grabbed a garden hose and began battling the flames as they spread to a fence and approached his own home. His quick response, despite suffering burned toes from hot embers, is credited with likely saving both residences.
"I was dead asleep in the bedrooms and when I came running out to the top of the stairs to see what was going on, I could see out the window right here between two houses that it was just glowing bright orange," Howard told a local outlet. "I saw it was a raging fire as much as I could see. So I had two options: run back in the bedroom and get some shorts or run straight downstairs outside, grab a hose and start fire fighting. So that’s what I did."
By the time police and firefighters arrived, Howard had put on a pair of shorts. He offered advice to prevent similar incidents, urging people to thoroughly douse their fireworks after use.