An off-duty Mountie is being credited with saving the lives of three people from a burning home in Lake Cowichan, B.C., early Sunday morning.
The North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say a resident called 911 at 4:41 a.m. to report a neighbour's home was on fire on Cowichan Avenue near King George Street.
The resident attempted to knock on the door to rouse the occupants but received no response, police said in a statement.
An RCMP officer happened to be driving by on his way to work and was able to gain access to the home, the statement said.
The officer found two men inside, woke them up and helped them outside. One of the men told the officer there was a woman still inside, so the officer headed back in, according to the statement.
The home was fully engulfed in flames shortly after.
All three occupants were assessed by paramedics and were not seriously injured, police said.
"The officer's actions and bravery is commendable," Sgt. Lita Watson of the Lake Cowichan RCMP said.
"He put his own life in danger, without even a second thought, to help those people who would have been severely injured. I want to also recognize and acknowledge the efforts made by the neighbour who tried their best to rouse the occupants of that home and called for emergency assistance," Watson added.
"These neighbourly acts really speak to the close-knit and supportive community we live in here in Lake Cowichan."
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the blaze but the fire is not believed to be suspicious, police said.
Emergency services have been called to help relocate the victims.
