Unexpected hero: FedEx delivery driver saves home from burning down
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An unexpected hero.
A local FedEx courier is being called that by a family whose house she helped save from burning down.
“To let her know that she is our family hero for stepping up when she didn’t need to and for doing something that you don’t expect,” said homeowner Evelyn Diaz in tears.
April Chacon has been a FedEx courier for nearly a decade, and has been making deliveries to the Donny Murray Lane neighborhood in Horizon for the past year.
On Wednesday, March 27 as she made her usual rounds of deliveries in the neighborhood, she noticed smoke but said she didn’t make much of it other than possibly somebody cooking outside. But upon a second look, she realized that the Diaz family’s home was in flames and sprung into action.
“I just assumed it was something similar, but I saw the debris and the ashes and I was like, ‘No, that’s a house fire.’ And my first instinct was, of course, call 911, and to let the homeowners know. And then there just so happened to be a water hose right there, and once I realized how bad it was, I just kind of was like, ‘Whoa, maybe I shouldn’t be doing this, but we’re still here anyways,’” Chacon said.
While calling 911, Chacon tried to alert the residents by knocking on the door and tried to stave off the fire with the home’s water hose.
She said a neighbor also jumped in to help put out the fire by using a fire extinguisher. Fire crews arrived in under 10 minutes and they effectively got the fire under control and put it out.
“That makes me feel very proud, very helpful that having my own home and everybody else has a home, you don’t want anything serious to happen. Taking care of the neighborhood, this being my road, I’m here every day. This does become my community and I’d like to be a helpful watching eye for everybody,” Chacon said.
The fire destroyed the home’s gas meter and chimney, and damaged part of the living room and kitchen. No one from the Diaz family was home during the fire, but they said they were beyond grateful for everyone’s response that day.
“Well, we felt love, protected. Like I said, we’re forever thankful for their help, their support. It could have been a lot worse for us, but it is not because of them. There’s work to be done, there’s damage out there, but at the end of the day, we’ll be back on our feet here soon,” Diaz said.
The family is currently staying at a hotel until their gas and part of their home is restored. Diaz said she doesn’t expect to be able to return home for about a month.
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