SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami-Dade Police officer is being hailed a hero after he alerted the residents of a duplex in Southwest Miami-Dade about a shed fire that had sparked behind the structure.
Officials said Miami-Dade Police Officer Roland Garcia was out on routine patrol when he smelled smoke, early Tuesday morning.
Garcia’s body camera was rolling as he tracked down the source of the strong smell to the 2500 block of Southwest 89th Avenue, at around 3:30 a.m.
Garcia did not waste any time waking up residents after spotting the fierce flames.
“Knock on that one, knock on that one,” the officer is heard saying, presumably to another officer.
“I’ve got to evacuate the house next door,” Garcia is heard saying.
The law enforcer’s swift actions helped save homes and lives.
“Get out of the house. There’s a fire. Get out of the house. Get everybody out of the house,” he said to one of the residents.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene of the blaze shortly after.
“Guys, let me get you over here. Ven p’acá,” Garcia is heard saying in the bodycam video.
“Good catch, how’d you see it? Like, you saw it, or you saw the smoke or started smelling it?” a woman asked Garcia.
“I smelled the smoke,” said Garcia.
“The luck of the police officer being right at the scene, [he] announced to the two units that are very close by,” said MDFR Firefighter Robert Ortega, “and we were able to make a quick knock down before it reached the home.”
An aerial camera hovering above the scene after daybreak revealed just how close the charred shed was to the duplex where, officials said, at least six people were sleeping when the fire broke out.
Thanks to Garcia, everyone got out safely, no one was hurt and homes were spared.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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