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Neighbors Fight House Fire With Garden Hoses

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4)- Two homes were burning in Littleton when another home catches fire just a few house away-- sparked by embers from the homes on fire up the block. That's when neighbors sprang into action, grabbed garden hoses and tried to put out the fire.

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(credit: CBS)

Copter4 flew over the two homes on fire on South Bemis Circle about 4:30 p.m. Friday when the crew noticed smoke from another home just a few houses away.

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Copter4 flew over the burning homes in Littleton (credit: CBS)

Upon closer inspection, the roof of that home was burning.

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(credit: CBS)

Steve Haskell didn't wait for fire crews to arrive.

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Steve Haskell (credit: CBS)

"No one was in the back yet, so I grabbed their hose," said Haskell.

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Haskell stood on the outdoor oven and sprayed water on the burning roof with a garden hose to keep the flames from spreading.

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"They are like family to us and the best neighbors we could possibly have and it's their house and I wanted to help them," said Haskell.

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CBS4's Karen Morfitt interviews Gavin Tarr and Steve Haskell (credit: CBS)

Copter4 video shows that he wasn't alone.

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(credit: CBS)

"We never met Dan, but thank God for Dan!"

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Dan, a stranger to the homeowners, just happened to be walking the path behind the home when the first flame sparked.

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"He originally spotted the fire and ran down the street and told the fire department," said Gavin Tarr, the homeowner's son.

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Steve Haskell, Gavin Tarr and Jonathan Tarr (credit: CBS)

Jonathan Tarr said he is in awe of the effort his neighbor and that stranger, Dan, put into saving his home.

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Jonathan Tarr and Dan (credit: CBS)

"We will be forever grateful for what he did. There would have been a lot more damage," said Jonathan Tarr.

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(credit: CBS)

The cause of the house fires up the street that started the third fire is being investigated. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

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(credit: CBS)
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