In an act of immediate bravery, a house painter and a neighbor rescued an older man from a house engulfed in flames in Franklin, as reported by WSMV. Joshua Schaffer, while painting a home on Lakemont Drive, noticed smoke billowing from across the street and sprang into action alongside a resident.
Upon breaking down the door, they found the man, who was disoriented and "hot to the touch," according to Schaffer's narrative, in a statement obtained by WSMV. The urgency of their intervention became clear when, seconds after extracting the man from the premises, an explosion from a propane tank shattered all windows of the home. While the individual they saved mentioned his golden retriever was still inside at the time of the rescue, the whereabouts of the pet remains unknown.
Williamson County Fire & Rescue Services Coordinator Jay Bonson lauded the rescuers for their lifesaving efforts, which averted an otherwise more tragic outcome. As Williamson Herald relays, Bonson remarked, "He saved that guy’s life, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind."
Firefighters, having arrived on the scene, focused efforts on controlling the blaze described as "aggressive" by District Chief Barry Burris, as quoted by WKRN. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, though it is believed to have started accidentally at the back of the house. Schaffer himself reflected on the incident, acknowledging the group effort and stating, "I just ran towards it because I would want somebody to run towards me if I was in a fire."
