HERO - Todd Bowie and Dakota Hayes

On the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 26, Urban Forestry Equipment Operators TODD BOWIE and DAKOTA HAYES were going about their daily routines when they smelled smoke and noticed a big black cloud funneling from between two properties on Ridgeview Street. A storage shed on the backside of one of the properties was on fire, in addition to a large wooden fence bordering between the houses.  

Todd and Dakota rushed to help. They quickly got a water hose on and used their own vehicle fire extinguisher before Todd went to the front door of one of the houses to alert the resident. He actually awoke the homeowner, who was asleep and unaware of the dangerous situation outside. 

As the fire grew, the two determined that they could only try to contain the situation until help arrived. They noticed the siding on one of the homes was starting to melt due to the heat of the flames, so they turned their efforts to keep it from melting anymore by spraying water on the area of the house. 

The Hot Springs Fire Department arrived shortly afterward and used 1,500 gallons of water to extinguish the flames. 

Due to the valiant efforts of Todd and Dakota and the HSFD, Lt. Perry Allison of HSFD Station 7 said there were no injuries sustained at this structure fire. 

Damages sustained by the fire include approximately 50% of the fencing and 75% of the shed. All of the shed’s contents were destroyed, as well as the damage to the adjacent house’s exterior siding. The cause of the fire is undetermined.