'It was stupid what I did, but it was human' | Bystander helps rescue two people from Hamilton apartment fire

HAMILTON, Ohio — While three Hamilton residents are without a place to stay after a house fire Monday morning, everyone made it out safely — thanks, in part, to the quick actions of a bystander.

Firefighters were called to a structure fire near the 700 block of Heaton Street, the fire department battalion chief said, adding that no one had been seriously hurt.

That may very well be due to the actions of Justin Roark.

Roark, who has some first responder training, said he was driving by the two-unit apartment building around 1 a.m. Monday and noticed billowing smoke coming from a home.

"The smoke and fire were pouring down the stairs at this time, coming out of his room into the hallway. I seen a hand, so I grabbed it," said Roark. "He was trying to go back up after a cat, and I told him 'The cat will either be alright or it'll be fine, man. Man, I'm sorry you're a human. You're more important, let's go.'"

Roark said he and his wife were on their way to pick up their children from a family member's home when they spotted the fire.

"I thought I was going to be trapped in there," he said. "It was stupid what I did, but it was human."

After hurling the man over his shoulders and carrying him down the stairs, Roark said he noticed another man trapped on the first floor of the home — so he returned to the burning building again to help police knock out a window to help the man escape.

"I'm fearless, basically. And I do stupid things on a whim, but it's methodical and smart," Roark said.

Those actions may very well be one of the reasons Hamilton Fire reported no injuries in the aftermath of the fire.

Fire officials said by the time they arrived on the scene, everyone had made it out safely.