By Valerie Rowell
The Augusta Chronicle
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Timothy Bernat woke up Wednesday afternoon when he heard someone yelling.
It was FedEx delivery driver John Hillman trying to tell Bernat that his house was on fire.
Hillman was delivering a package about 3:45 p.m. to a neighbor, who noticed flames behind Bernat’s Martinez home. She called 911 while Hillman ran to the house.
“I opened the door and yelled,” Hillman said. “I tried to wake him up. I took the dog and cat outside and put the dog on a leash outside.”
Bernat and his pets were unharmed in the fire which started on the back deck of the home in Cactus Trail and moved up the back and into the attic, said Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Jim Champion.
The back of the home was badly damaged by fire, and the inside sustained heavy smoke and water damage, Champion said.
Bernat watched as firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Hillman was nowhere to be found.
“I had to keep on going,” the delivery driver said.
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