Full-scale inferno Published June 13, 2011 By Senior Airman Danielle Campbell 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," he said with a humble glare in his eyes. "It's just amazing how things work out." Technical Sgt. Bryan Reed, member of the 80th Aerial Port Squadron and Dobbins Air Reserve Base Honor Guard, said it was just another Sunday evening in June when he and his wife were helping some friends clean and paint their new home in Dallas, Ga. Sergeant Reed and his group of friends decided to put some food on the grill as the day came to an end. It appeared the neighbors had the same idea because the small grill that sat on their back deck smoked as well. But what initially appeared to be harmless barbecue would later turn out to be a cigarette butt that caught hold of a self-igniting bag of charcoal. Black smoke and flames began to quickly crawl up the chimney that extended off the deck. Sergeant Reed and his friends darted over, called the fire department and checked to see if the owners were home. After receiving no response, Sergeant Reed grabbed a water hose he found lying along the front of the house and headed to the backyard. "The deck jetted off the back of the upper level of the house, it had no stairwell and it stood 12-15 feet high," Sergeant Reed said. "I had no choice but to climb on top of a chain-linked dog kennel that stood along-side it." That allowed him enough leverage to climb the rest of the porch and to get close to the erupting fire. As he wrestled the flames, he noticed the door that led inside the home was unlocked. He yelled inside to see if anyone was home, but the only response he got was from a pit bull that was waiting on the other side of the door. Sergeant Reed was able to put the fire out minutes before the fire department arrived. "When the fire department arrived, they told me the insulation would have went up into flames had I not acted so quickly," he said. "They thanked me and told me I had done a great job." The fire department took over to ensure the fire was completely extinguished. They entered the home to make sure no interior damage had been done as well. It turns out the pit-bull was not the only one home. The homeowner was awakened by the dog's barking and was astonished to know his home was moments away from turning into a full-scale inferno. He expressed gratitude toward Sergeant Reed as he reflected on how lucky he was. "I did what anybody would have done," Sergeant Reed said. "I'm just glad I was able to help."
