By Police1 Staff
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — An off duty officer escorted a pregnant woman and her 3-year-old daughter from their home just moments before it was engulfed in flames.
Elbert County deputy Joel Heap was awake with his own new baby when he noticed flames coming from his neighbor’s garage and acted quickly.
Tracie McKnight and her daughter were safely removed from the home by Heap and taken to the hospital as a precaution.
“He didn’t know them on a personal level,” Undersheriff Joseph W. Winkel told Police1. “He was still fairly new to the neighborhood.”
Heap, who is on paternity leave until January, was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
“He has a raspy voice from the smoke, but he’s doing good,” said Winkel.
“I’m just glad everyone’s okay. I mean, you can see from the video it was a raging fire.”