Pocono News Section

Edwardsville Police Officer Saves the Day

Edwardsville Police Officer Saves the Day - Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 3:54PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008 @03:54pm EST
EDWARDSVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Investigators say a fire that gutted an Edwardsville home Monday night was set on purpose. The fire started just before 11:30 on Main Street. The flames started in the vacant side of a double block home.

If it wasn't for Edwardsville Police Officer Dan Lewis, Monday night's fire could have been a lot worse. Lewis says, "I had to kick the door in and I found 2 people upstairs sleeping. I got them out safely and the fire department came in and did their thing."

Lewis was on patrol when dispatch called him to the fiery scene. The vacant side of a double block home on 773 Main Street was burning, and smoke was spreading into the other side.

Lewis woke up Robert and Sandra Evans, ages 53 and 62, and got them out. But he says it’s all in a days work. "I'm sure anybody would have done it in that situation of any people were in there," says Lewis.

Sandra Evans was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but she was quickly released, and will be alright. Lewis has been on the force for 3 years, and says he's always been ready for a day like this. "They just tell us to be ready for something like this. There's not really training you can go through for something like this," he says.

Now investigators are sifting the rubble, trying to figure out exactly where the fire was intentionally set. But thanks to officer Lewis, two people walked away from all this safely.