Joana Cole, a letter carrier from Peoria, IL, was recently delivering mail when she spotted smoke billowing from an attached garage at a residence.
While a bystander called 911, Cole rushed to the front door and banged on it to alert the homeowner, who opened it just as the windows of the garage shattered.
The Postal Service employee ushered the residents to safety and comforted them until firefighters arrived to battle the blaze.
“The victims were very shaken, afraid and confused,” said local Customer Services Manager Ronda Adkins. “They are extremely grateful for Joana’s heroic actions.”
The fire destroyed the garage and vehicles inside it.