Cody Steele, a highway contract route driver, was recently on duty after hours at the Burlington, IA, Post Office when he noticed something amiss:
He smelled smoke in the air, and he was concerned the facility was at risk.
Steele made his way to the 24-hour lobby, where he discovered a trash can fire that was spreading.
He immediately called 911 and located a fire extinguisher, which he used to control the flames.
Steele also notified the postmaster, Heather Heuvelmann, and remained on the scene until both she and emergency responders arrived.
“Cody’s persistence and quick thinking likely saved the entire Post Office that night,” Heuvelmann said.
Police soon identified and arrested a suspect who was charged with first-degree arson.