Hero cop saves family
An alert police officer with a “hunch” is being hailed as a hero after saving a sleeping family from a burning home in Norwell early Thursday morning.
Officer Joseph Esposito was on patrol around 12:30 a.m. when he noticed smoke — or perhaps steam — emanating from the rooftop of a home at 496 River St. It’s not an uncommon sight for this time of year as heating systems turn on, and it doesn’t always mean disaster, one fire official said. “He had a hunch it was something different and he pulled in and started banging on the door and was able to wake the family up and get them out,” Fire Chief Jeffrey Simpson said.
Simpson said the fire ignited in a breezeway connecting the garage to the large Colonial home and quickly spread to the attic where it blazed above a bedroom where two young children were sleeping.
“A few more minutes and it would have been a tragedy,” the chief said.
No one was injured in the twoalarm blaze that nearly destroyed the family home, causing extensive interior fire and smoke damage. Esposito evacuated the family, including two adults, three children and their dog from the residence.
“Officer Esposito made a great call and he deserves recognition as a hero,” Simpson continued.
Acting Police Chief Carol Brzuzsek said in a statement it is “without question” that Esposito’s actions helped the family avoid serious injury or loss of life. “We are extremely proud of the heroic actions of Officer Esposito. We are so grateful the family is safe and are thoughts are with them during this difficult time,” Brzuzsek said.
Firefighters launched an “aggressive” attack on the blaze, knocking down the flames within hours and clearing the scene around 4:30 a.m., according to fire officials.
Simpson said a possible crack in the fireplace chimney appears to be the culprit, a common cause for fires this time of year.