Fairfield police officer hailed as hero after grabbing garden hose to stop house from catching fire

FAIRFIELD — A Fairfield police officer is being hailed as a hero for saving a home from potential disaster on July 4.

Officer David Neal of the Fairfield Police Department was called to Sherwood Court this holiday evening regarding a fire in a backyard fence, believed to have been started by fireworks.

“I got there, I was working as a fireworks patrolman, responding to fire calls and fireworks calls,” Neal said. “The winds were really strong that night in Fairfield, as they are, and I saw a ton of embers flying through the air.”

Neal noticed that these embers were landing on the roof of the house across the street.

He rushed to the front door, his act of kindness caught on the doorbell camera, and knocked to alert the owner.

However, no one responded.

“I just thought, you know, there’s a garden hose right here, I’m going to grab a hose and start watering their roof,” Neal said.

He hosed down the roof until he was sure the embers were out and the fire across the street was better controlled.

His quick thinking is credited with stopping what could have easily started another fire within minutes.

“Fires happen so fast and houses burn so fast, I just didn’t want that to happen,” Neal said.

Owner Debra Allen was able to thank Officer Neal in person Thursday at the Fairfield Police Department.

“I’m so grateful. I really appreciate it,” Allen said, hugging Neal.

She knows that given the heat and the wind that was blowing that night, it wouldn’t have taken much for her house to catch fire.

“My house could have collapsed. It was very scary,” Allen told CBS13.

She was out of town that evening for the July 4th holiday.

Having lived in this house for 40 years, it would have been devastated if it had caught fire.

“It’s very emotional. My husband passed away a few years ago. All his stuff is in there and it’s the most important thing I could have lost,” Allen said.

She said Neal had gone above and beyond the call of duty. She wanted to commend the officer whose humanity shone beyond his badge.

“He didn’t need to do that. He was thinking about saving my house and it’s impossible, there’s no words for it,” Allen said.

His house was spared thanks to a police officer who was in the right place at the right time, who simply did the right thing.

“If you see a need for something, just act on it. That’s what I experienced in that situation. I saw a need, I just moved toward that need and I responded like anyone else would, I hope,” Neal said.