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Deerfield Beach, FL - It was just after 10:00 A.M. on July 19th when Alan Potrzuski heard commotion coming from the house next door. It was his neighbor's voice and she was yelling. When Potrzuski, 64, looked outside, he saw black smoke coming from the home at 3430 SW 3rd Ct. He knew just what to do.

Donning a rebreather mask he uses while working as a pest control technician, he darted next door equipped with a fire extinguisher. Entering the home, Mr. Potrzuski found the likely source of the fire, a dish washer burning in the kitchen.

When Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue units from Deerfield Beach arrived on scene about three minutes later, the fire was mostly extinguished, Mr. Potrzuski and his neighbor were safely outside, and the house was saved.

Firefighters remained on scene to ventilate smoke from the home and remove the burnt dishwasher, which could be seen lying abandoned in the driveway.

“Mr. Potrzuski‘s swift actions likely contributed to the homeowner's safe escape and minimized damages to the home from the fire. This situation clearly emphasizes the importance for homeowners to not only have working smoke alarms in their home, but fire extinguishers as well. These important life-saving tools can be the difference between life and death. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.”

The Florida State Fire Marshal will conduct an investigation to determine what caused the appliance to catch fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, every 24 seconds a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation.

When asked how he was going to spend the rest of his day, Mr. Potrzuski said he was “going to head to Costco to get a new fire extinguisher”. He hopes his experience will encourage others to be prepared in the event that they are faced with an emergency.