Officer speaks on saving family in fire

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Two Virginia Beach police officers patrolling the Sandbridge neighborhood ran into a burning home during the early hours of July 5, potentially saving four lives.

The call came in at 1:43 a.m. for a fire in the 2000 block of Sandfiddler Road, according to Battalion Chief James Ramsey with the Virginia Beach Fire Department. Officer Tim Hamed and fellow officer Justin Trout happened to be in the area patrolling the neighborhood when they spotted the fire.

"We were just there at the right time at the right place," Hamed told WAvy.com. "Everything I did was on instinct and just reaction. I noticed a vehicle in the driveway, and at that time, figured somebody was in the house."

Before fire crews arrived, Hamed and Trout started banging on doors and windows. Hamed said no one was answering, so the two officers decided to enter the home.

"When we opened up the door, [Trout] noticed two females standing up on stairwell on the second floor," Hamed said. "We yelled to them, 'Your house is on fire! You need to get out!'"

Hamed said the women started to panic, and the house was quickly filling up with smoke.

"I could start seeing the flames shooting up through the ceiling of the second floor," Hamed said. "As we exited the house, we got outside and within probably 15 to 20 seconds later, the second floor was engulfed in flames."

As Trout checked downstairs bedrooms, Hamed ran upstairs after the women. They then led four adults to safety.

Resident Barbara Dougherty told WAVY.com she knew how lucky she was to have the two officers in the area that morning.

"Thank God we all got out safe," Dougherty said. "I think they're my heroes. Thank God they happened to have gone by and saw the flames."

Hamed says he realizes this story could have ended tragically, but he won't call himself a hero.

"When somebody comes up to you saying, 'Thanks, you did a good job,' that's what really makes it worth it," Hamed said.

Fire officials in Virginia Beach say the fire was sparked by illegal fireworks that had been disposed of improperly.