‘Minutes matter’: Passerby calls 911, helps three adults inside burning Bridgewater home

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Two friends helped three people escape a raging house fire in Bridgewater early Friday morning.

Eduardo Alvarenga and his friend were in the right place at the right time.

The pair was driving down Crescent Street around 1:30 a.m., when they saw angry flames and quickly jumped out of their car to help.

“It was a pretty big fire,” Alvarenga said. “I pull in the driveway, and she runs up to the door, jumps over the little fence and starts knocking on the door saying, ‘Hello, hello!’ and I’m in the car beeping my horn trying to get their attention.”

He said a Bridgewater officer from the police department located just behind the home ran over and started banging on the door.

All three people inside got out safely, and so did their pets.

“I’m happy that could help a little bit because the way the fire was, minutes matter, they do,” explained Alvarenga.

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Bridgewater Fire Chief John Schlatz said firefighters arrived to find the garage of the home and two vehicles in the driveway fully engulfed in flames.

The garage eventually collapsed, which created a challenge for firefighters.

Schlatz also said gas tanks from some of the cars on the scene exploded during the fire.

Neighbor Alison Green woke up to loud booms.

“That blast, I’m telling you my windows were shaking, it was wild,” Green said. " I looked out the window, and I could just see this huge fireball in the sky, and I’ve never seen anything like that."

After several hours of crews fighting the fire, just a shell of the home is left, but thanks to Alvarenga, those who lived inside are unscathed.

“If I see something like that, I’m not leaving it alone,” Alvarenga said. “I’m at least going to make a call even if already 50 million people are calling it in.”

No firefighters were injured, and the cause of the fire is now under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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