Wayne County deputy, firefighter team up to douse flames engulfing garage

Heart-pounding bodycam footage captured a lone firefighter and firefighter-trained deputy team up to keep the flames engulfing a Wayne County garage at bay until the rest of the first responders arrived on scene.

The garage caught fire the early evening of June 4, but was fully involved before the deputy and firefighter got there at 5:55 p.m.

“There’s a lot of talk of the lack of volunteerism in our country, not just locally but around the country, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Doug Hunter stated. “Many of our fire departments are short-staffed, likewise, many law enforcement agencies are short-staffed. But you’ll see here that both agencies came together.”

You’ll see one single fireman respond on the truck - obviously, can’t do a whole lot by himself,” Hunter said. “Fortunately, one of our deputies was nearby, and he’s also trained as a firefighter.”

Body camera video showed the deputy arrive on scene with a plume of smoke rising above.

The deputy rushed out of the cruiser to grab a hose from the firetruck and rush to the blaze.

Hunter said there was no saving the garage, but the nearby structures were at risk of catching fire too, and the siding of the home was already melting off.

With no fire protection gear on, the deputy sheltered himself behind a tree while dousing the flames and surrounding structures.

Between the two, the firefighter and deputy were able to keep the blaze contained until other firefighters arrived on scene.

The flames were finally extinguished about 15 minutes later.