LEWISTON, N.Y. — A Lewiston Police officer is being lauded for his heroic efforts in pulling a woman to safety from her burning home.
Officer Jon Smith told 2 On Your Side he was nearby when he heard dispatch respond to a call that fire broke out on Swann Road around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday in the Town of Lewiston.
"I was able to get there and probably about a minute, maybe less than a minute, when I arrived on scene, I witnessed a garage and the back rear of the house fully engulfed in flames," Smith recalled.
The house belongs to an elderly couple whose daughter, Stacey, lives next door. Stacey says her husband saw the flames and immediately called 911 for help.
That's when Officer Smith arrived, and the two men tried to enter the front door to help.
"There were multiple people outside the home when I got there. I immediately questioned if there were any more people inside of the home, which they replied that there was at least one inside the house," Smith says.
The elderly woman was inside apparently looking for her husband, who Smith said already made it our safely.
"I tried to make entry into the home through the front door, which I was unable to do. So I came around, and at that point she had made her way into the living room, and we were able to get a window open, and we were able to pull her out of the window safely," Smith said.
Smith has been with the department for a little over a year and is also a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The cause of the blaze is not known at this time, and no one, including Smith, was injured.
Chief Frank Previte told 2 On Your Side, "When these things happen, we're usually the first ones there to help, so I'm glad that my officer could make a difference."
Chief Previte says he hopes to find a way in the near future to honor Officer Smith for his selfless actions in rushing into the home and carrying the woman to safety.