JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
A Jacksonville lawn care worker was dubbed one family's home savior for helping put out the flames of a house fire with a garden hose. The owners of this Mandarin home say they feel blessed a Good Samaritan helped keep a fire from destroying their home.
The Good Samaritan said he saw the flames Wednesday afternoon and knew he had to act fast. He then grabbed a garden hose and started spraying until firefighters arrived.
A melted trash can, a charred air conditioning unit and the burnt garage door were a clear indication that something went terribly wrong at the Mandarin home. However, firefighters said things could have been much worse had it not been for Robert Baker.
"All of the flames were in the AC unit. They were shooting out like a firework or something," Baker said.
"It apparently had been burning for awhile, it progressed quickly," said homeowner Chuck Cuthbertson.
He and his family were not home when the fire broke out, but thankfully Baker was nearby doing lawn work a few doors down.
Baker said he saw the flames shooting up 7-8 feet in the air and knew he had to do something to help.
"I kind of panicked. I actually called my mom," Baker said.
She told him to call 911 and then try to put the fire out. Baker grabbed the garden hose, but he said it barely reached around the front of the house. So, he used his thumb to make the water go as far as it could.
For eight minutes, he used the hose to soak the flames until the fire department arrived.
"I've never heard of an air conditioning unit catching fire like that," Baker said.
The Cuthbertson family said they feel blessed because had two more minutes passed without Baker's intervention, their entire home could have gone up in flames. Instead, the Cuthbertsons said the fire damage was limited only to the outside of the home.
Baker said he hopes others learn a lesson from the incident and help the next time someone or something's in trouble.
"Do a good deed every now and then ... maybe you'll get one back," Baker said.
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