Young couple helps save Buffalo Grove residents from New Year's Day fire

If it weren't for Bryan Lucero and his girlfriend Kelsi Sanchez Rodriguez, a Buffalo Grove couple might not have realized their home was on fire in the early morning hours of New Year's Day until it was too late.

But Lucero, a Palatine resident and Palatine High School graduate who will celebrate his 20th birthday this week, said he doesn't see himself as a hero.

"I personally think that the firefighters and the first responders are more the heroes than I am," he said Sunday.

In fact, he pointed out, it was Sanchez Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Fremd High School graduate and Schaumburg resident, who first spotted the fire in the 400 block of Glendale Road.

The couple had just left Sanchez Rodriguez's aunt's house on the same street when, as luck would have it, she took a left turn instead of her customary right. Lucero was nodding off to sleep when Sanchez Rodriguez remarked there appeared to be a big bonfire.

"That's when I got up and looked over to my right," Lucero said. "And she was like, 'Wait a minute. That's not a bonfire. The building is on fire.'"

Sanchez Rodriguez stopped the car and called 911, while Lucero went to wake up the residents. He said he sprinted to the home and began banging on the door and ringing the doorbell.

A man in his 50s answered wearing pajamas and a jacket. He appeared to be shaking off a deep sleep, Lucero said.

"Sir, your garage is on fire," Lucero said he told the man, who rushed upstairs to wake his wife.

"There were two cars in the garage and fire was spreading all over. Half the garage was in flames. There were really big flames shooting up," Lucero added.

Buffalo Grove firefighters said they arrived at the scene at 1:47 a.m. to find heavy flames coming from the garage. Firefighters entered the residence, located the fire, which had spread into the home, and put it out within a half-hour of arriving on the scene.

Firefighters also rescued the family cat, officials said. The house sustained smoke and water damage and was declared uninhabitable.

The fire also severely damaged the attached garage and three vehicles, two that were parked inside and one parked on the driveway. An unoccupied home next door sustained moderate damage to its detached garage and siding from the heat and flames.

After firefighters arrived, Lucero and Sanchez Rodriguez stuck around to console the residents.

"My girlfriend and I were just hugging the people from the house. We were (saying), 'We're so sorry this happened,'" he said. "We just wanted to make sure (they) were safe. Anyone else would have done the same to us if we were in the same situation."

Firefighters said the fire is still under investigation, but is not considered suspicious.