DEWEY BEACH, Del.- The Dewey Beach Police Officer credited with saving multiple people during last weekend's massive fire is sharing his story.
Patrolman First Class John Kane was on shift when he smelled smoke early Saturday morning. When he arrived on Bayard Avenue, the 22-year-old says he saw fire start to pour out of the homes.
"I noticed there were four cars out in front of the property with no one standing outside of the property. So I assumed that there were people still inside," he says. "There was no front entrance that I could get in so I ran around the back. That is when I started seeing people near the back door and that's when I ran up and started alerting people to get out of the house as fast as possible."
Kane says he was taken back to his smokehouse training--a requirement for police officers to learn what to do in case they get on scene before firefighters arrive.
"Basically you learn to maneuver through smoke and stay low," he says. "[You learn] how difficult it can actually be if you find yourself in a fire."
Rehoboth Beach Fire Chief Chuck Snyder says Kane undoubtedly saved lives, as the homes were fully engulfed quickly.
"Dewey PD did a great job getting the people out of the two initial houses," Snyder told WRDE on Saturday. "They deserve a lot of credit for what they did before we got here to get the people out."
But Kane's heroics didn't end on Bayard Avenue. On his way home from work, Kane heard a dispatch for a CPR in the Midway area. Despite being held over at work and after a very long night, Patrolman First Class Kane pulled over and helped medics render aid.
Governor John Carney recognizing the officer, writing a statement quote:
“Individuals who sign up to be in emergency response have to be ready at a moment’s notice for anything to come their way. Officer Kane stepped up – and exceeded – the challenges in front of him during the recent Dewey Beach fire, saving multiple lives – including a family dog. We’re grateful for Officer Kane’s commitment to keeping our community safe and his unwavering leadership during this recent fire.”
Officer Kane says he is very appreciative of all the community support, but humbly tells WRDE, he was just doing his job.
"You sign up to help others even if it puts yourself at risk," he says. "I mean I knew I needed to do something and I'm sure everyone at this police department and every other police officer would have done the same thing I would have."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
