Springboro police officer credited with saving man from burning house

SPRINGBORO — A Springboro police officer is being credited with saving a man’s life after his house caught fire.

Around 5:30 a.m. Friday, Springboro police were called to respond to a house fire in the 100 block of English Oak Lane, according to a spokesperson for the police department.

Officers were advised that the resident’s battery-operated wheelchair was on fire and he was unable to get out.

Dispatch then advised that the “wheelchair just exploded and the complainant stopped answering,” the spokesperson said.

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Officer Heath Martin, a 20-year veteran, was on scene first and entered the house where he was met with heavy smoke.

The house was “completely filled with heavy smoke” which caused Martin to initially retreat from the front, the spokesperson said.

Martin reported hearing a man yelling for help inside the home, which prompted him to attempt to go back inside. He then managed to make it to the 36-year-old male occupant in a back bedroom.

The bedroom, including the bed the man was laying in, was actively on fire.

The spokesperson says Martin was able to drag the man out of the room and out of the burning house.

It was then confirmed that no one else was inside of the house except for a dog which also made it out.

Both Martin and the man were later transported to the hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

“Officer Martin did an outstanding job in what most likely resulted in saving this homeowner’s life,” the spokesperson said.

Martin has since returned to work following the incident.

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