Letter Carrier Todd Eklund was recently delivering mail in a Spokane, WA, neighborhood when he heard a loud bang and spotted a rapidly spreading brush fire on a hill behind a customer’s home.
As Eklund called 911, he rushed to the front door to alert the customer to the danger, then helped her and her dogs reach safety across the street.
The Postal Service employee then returned to the home, grabbed a garden hose and battled the blaze until emergency responders arrived.
A cigarette flicked from a car stopped at a nearby road construction site was suspected to have ignited the fire.
“The customer was very thankful that Todd was there at the right time,” said Spokane Postmaster Earl Eisenrich.