Off-duty officer pulls three people from North Reading fire

NORTH READING, Mass. — As he drove home early Tuesday morning, North Reading Police Sergeant Thomas Encarnacao spotted large flames coming from a home on Lowell Road. He was armed with a flashlight and radio, and, after calling in the fire and notifying the station, he knocked on the door.

“I got no response, there was quite a bit of smoke,” Encarnacao explained during a news conference hours later.

He then kicked the door down and found a man sleeping in one room while a second person was also on the same floor. Encarnacao got them out safely as other police and firefighters arrived to help.

“It was a surreal moment,” Encarnacao said. “You always wonder how you’ll respond. Fortunately, we have very good training.”

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He said he was ‘nervous,’ but once the other officers arrived he knew there was more help if something happened to him.

One of the people saved was a father who was disoriented; as he came around, he realized that his son was in the basement. The man took police to the side of the home and they were able to remove screens and pull a juvenile from a window to safety.

“I think about first responders throughout this country and the men and women we work with, police, fire, nurses, EMTs, it doesn’t turn off when you go home,” Encarnacao added.

The fire did not spread to a neighboring house that is less than 20 feet away.

“I’m glad we have the boys in blue to do the job, I’m glad they’re here,” said Grace Washburn, who lives next door.

Fire investigators said the fire was likely caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials. Police said no charges were filed as of late Tuesday afternoon, though the matter remains under investigation.

Off-duty officer helps save three lives

Cox Media Group