In Toms River, New Jersey, a family narrowly escaped a devastating house fire thanks to their quick-thinking neighbor, Josh. Late Saturday night (September 20), Jonathan Pope and his family were asleep when Josh noticed flames engulfing their home. He sprinted over and frantically pounded on their door, alerting them to the danger. The dramatic rescue was captured on a Ring doorbell camera, showing Josh ringing the doorbell and shouting, "Get out of the house! There's a fire!" as debris fell around him.

Pope, his wife, their 17-year-old, nine-month-old baby, and the family dog all managed to escape unharmed. Pope described the scene to WNBC, saying, "I just heard boom, boom, boom, pounding on the garage, it sounded like a truck or a car was hitting my garage."

"I thought people were trying to breaking in," Pope told the news station. "So I ran out and I peek over and I see him opening the front door and lights all around him, [shouting] ‘Hey get out of the house, there’s a fire!'"

The fire, which severely damaged the home, started outside due to improperly discarded smoking materials that ignited cardboard boxes and a trash bin. It quickly spread to the garage, porch, attic, and second-floor bedroom. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, according to Matthew Janora, chief fire inspector for the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. Several fire companies responded and brought the blaze under control.

The Pope family expressed immense gratitude to their neighbors, Josh and Lori, for their lifesaving actions. In the aftermath, the local community rallied to support the family, providing them with essentials and a place to change their baby. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family with fire damage recovery.

Ross Kaminsky