HOUSTON — An off-duty volunteer firefighter answered the call and helped save his neighbor’s burning home.
Victor Esparza Jr. says he acted out of instinct when he grabbed a garden hose to contain a fire threatening the Elizando home.
Victor says he heard his neighbors yelling for help, but it wasn’t long before his father Victor Esparza Sr. stormed into his room to say there was a fire nearby.
In a t-shirt and shorts, Victor ran to the Elizando home and jumped right into action.
“I was just spraying and spraying. Every once in a while, I stepped outside to get some air and go back in. The smoke was really hard on my lungs because it was just burnt plastic,” said Esparza.
Emily Elizando says she feared the worst when she saw Victor in the garage with only a hose, until she realized he knew what he was doing.
It seemed like an hour, but in reality it was no more than five minutes before members of the nearby Northwest Volunteer Fire Department arrived to put out the fire and they too were surprised to see Victor.
“They were like since when did you get back,” said Esparza.
Victor had spent the last year deployed with the Army National Guard in Africa and hasn’t even been back for a full shift. Thankfully, being a hero comes natural.
“I love doing it because I feel good when I help somebody out,” said Esparza.
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