Traffic Agent Praised As A Hero, Saves Queens Residents And Pets From House Fire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A traffic agent took on the role of firefighter after spotting flames around a house in Queens.
Now she's being called a hero for saving residents and their pets.
It was just before 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon when 39-year-old Milagros Soriano was with another traffic agent driving on 34th Avenue towards 99th Street when they saw smoke and flames coming from the back of a home.
With no other first responders on scene yet, Soriano jumped into action.
"I just did what I felt was right. I went inside the house and I heard animals, dogs barking… Knocking on doors and nobody was answering me so I took it upon myself and I broke down the doors. I kicked it in," Soriano explained.
Soriano helped two people and a dog out. Then she went next door to where the fire was.
"The house was already in smoke and I just didn't even think twice I just thought what if this was my family," the traffic agent added.
"I broke the door down kicked it like two or three times and was able to get the door open. There was a guy there I said you need to leave your house is on fire."
She helped the man and his two dogs out as firefighters arrived.
"The A-C was catching fire so I tried to turn it off… The fire spread to the back to the tree," homeowner Anthony Ferrari said.
Fire marshals arrived Thursday night to further investigate.
Frankie Medina said his nephew was sleeping in the home next door to the fire when Soriano came to get him out.
"I just was made aware of that so I'm glad for that. As long as everybody's fine nobody got hurt," Medina told CBS2's Alice Gainer.
"I'm not saying I'm a hero. I just feel like I did what was right. Whether I was in or out of uniform," Soriano added.
The mother of two has been on the job for 16 years and told CBS2 this is the craziest thing that's happened so far. She said she has no plans to switch and join the FDNY – she just hopes someone would do the same for her family.
