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Off-duty police officer helps evacuate residents from burning home

MILFORD, Mass. – A police officer who happened to be in the right place at the right time is being thanked for his work to get residents out of a burning home safely.

Brandon Blaisdell was sleeping Sunday night when he woke up to shouting and saw flames on the front porch of the West Street duplex he owns.

“All of a sudden I heard yelling and saying exit the back door your house is on fire. So I looked outside. I see blue lights all over the siding,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it, I thought I was dreaming.”

A Milford police officer was pounding on the door of the home Blaisdell and his girlfriend live on the second floor of while a tenant lives on the first.

“I woke up my girlfriend, the dog, and we went out the back door,” Blaisdell said.

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Milford Police officer Brian Cahill was off-duty when he woke Blaisdell up,

“Typically, I’d just go right to the police station, but I happened to be early for a change. So, I figured I had a coffee I was relaxing I was going for a ride around the block,” Cahill said.

He just happened be driving by when he spotted the fire and jumped into action.

“I turned around, I called it in to the police department, which they called the fire department. I went in the side door and started getting people out of the house,” he said.

Everyone was evacuated safely and firefighters quickly put out the flames before they could spread to the house.

Investigators have since determined the fire was intentionally set. Blaisdell said he has no idea who would want to do them harm.

“I just wouldn’t think that this would actually happen especially to me or in town,” he said.

While Officer Cahill is modest about what he did, saying “it’s just part of the job,” Blaisdell is grateful.

“I don’t really see him around, but I would like to thank him, too. Saved my house potentially our lives, I guess,” he said.

One of the first firefighters to arrive on the scene was Blaisdell’s girlfriend’s father.

The damage is not extensive, but the Fire Marshal’s office is looking for answers and offering a $5,000 reward. if you have any information, call 1-800-682-9229.

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