There are those who do not believe in divine intervention, but for one family, a man who was in the wrong place at the right time saved their lives.
Brendon Birt was driving down a road in Red Oak, Iowa, when he made a wrong turn and found himself in front of a family’s home just as it caught on fire, according to ABC affiliate KETV.
“I just felt like somebody was in there,” Birt told KETV. “I just knew I had to act quick.”
It turned out that there were four siblings inside — and due to faulty smoke detectors in the house, they failed to go off. The children said they only woke up when they heard a man banging and yelling from outside their home.
Tender Lehman, the mother of the four children, told KETV that at the time of the fire, she was in Montana for a family emergency and that the children’s 22-year-old brother was home with them. The other children were 17, 14, and 8.
Windy Monjarez, the Grandmother of the children, set up a GoFundMe to help the family recover from the fire.
Last night on Oct. 23rd very early in the morning, my family suffered a terrible blow. My daughters house burned down, it’s a total loss. She is married with 4 kids living with her, thanks to their quick actions and our hero Brendon Birt, everybody got out with seconds to spare. Her kids are 22, 17, 14 and 8. She lost some of her precious dogs and all of the families belongings. My son in law is a Union Boilermaker and my daughter is in college to become a nurse. Anybody who knows them, knows their hearts! They would and have helped everybody who has ever needed it. They are homeless and have nothing left. Please consider donating, but at the very least please share!! They need all the help they can get and prayers, so many prayers. Thank you so much!
The Ring doorbell footage recorded the moment when the three younger siblings ran out of the house together. A few moments later, the 22-year-old made it out just before the flames spread.
“They came out the door [and] I just felt like I just wanted to break down and cry,” Birt told KETV.
According to the GoFundMe page, which has raised close to its $30,000 goal, the family’s home, their belongings, and two of the family’s five dogs did not survive the fire.
Though the family suffered a great loss, they are filled with gratitude that they “got out with seconds to spare.”
“My kids wouldn’t have made it,” Lehman told KETV. “They’re safe because of him.”
Though Birt happened to be in the area and was a stranger just passing by, Lehman added that Birt is “family now.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Red Oak Fire Department, per the outlet.
