MEHVILLE, Mo. — An off-duty Pattonville firefighter sprang into action to rescue a neighbor from a burning home in Oakville, fire officials said.
The fire began at approximately 11:30 a.m. on March 29 and is believed to have started in the attached garage, KSDK reported.
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The Mehlville Fire Protection District stated firefighters responding to the call were told that neighbors were attempting to rescue a person trapped inside.
Greg DeGreeff, a firefighter with the Pattonville Fire Protection District, was off duty at home when his 3-year-old son alerted him to the fire.
“He just came out and said there’s smoke around the house… he was our watchdog. He found it,” DeGreeff said. “By the time I had made it out here, the garage was already fully involved.”
He said he was aware his neighbor’s wife had mobility issues and did not see her outside, leading him to believe she might still be inside the home. He added that he knew they would have to try to get her out one way or another.
With flames blocking the front of the home, DeGreeff said he crashed through a fence to reach the back door and went inside without protective gear. He later said he probably should have jumped the fence instead. Inside, he found the woman as smoke and heat quickly filled the house.
DeGreeff helped the woman safely out of the home before the first fire truck arrived, walking her out himself and later downplaying his actions.
“I didn’t carry her out. I walked her out,” he said. “I’m not trying to make myself sound any more. It’s just what we do.”
Pattonville Fire Protection District Chief Jim Usry said DeGreeff’s quick actions likely saved the woman’s life. Fire crews from the Mehlville Fire Protection District arrived shortly afterward and worked to contain the blaze, but the home was destroyed.
Usry said DeGreeff’s actions demonstrate the level of commitment firefighters maintain, even when they are off duty.
The department now plans to recommend him for a Medal of Honor, though DeGreeff has remained humble.
“You take care of people when you do this job for a living, so that’s all what it was,” he said.
The cause remains under investigation, though officials said they do not consider the fire suspicious.
