Once a Firefighter
As he was leaving a meter change job, Larin Trenary, a Spire service technician based in Monett, Missouri, noticed the smoke right away, rising from a trashcan next to a house. Burning trash or leaves isn’t anything unusual, but suddenly, Trenary realized that the flames had erupted from the trashcan and were climbing up the home.
A firefighter in nearby Joplin for nine years before he joined Spire in 2018, Trenary leaped into action, stopping his truck and grabbing the fire extinguisher. Meanwhile, the homeowner, an elderly man, came outside to check on the burning leaves, not even realizing his house was on fire. As Trenary began extinguishing the flames, he asked the homeowner to dial 911. “But he couldn’t get his phone to work,” said Trenary. “So, I dialed 911 and told them the address.”
Meanwhile, smoke was pouring inside the home from the open door. The man’s wife, who had also stepped outside to see what was happening, ran back indoors to start filling up milk jugs since their outdoor hose had been damaged by the fire. Flames were rising about 12 feet high, and even as he fought them back, Trenary noticed the fire was crawling along the dry, dead grass, straight toward a gas can. Trenary made sure the homeowner, who seemed confused due to smoke inhalation, was in a safe area before going inside the house himself to get the man’s wife and their dog outside and away from potential danger.
All in all, it only took a few minutes, but Trenary said, “It felt like an eternity.” By the time the fire department arrived, Trenary’s fire extinguisher was empty, and the fire was nearly 100% contained.
The homeowner and his wife were overwhelmed by what could have happened and thanked Trenary for his help.
“My instincts and training just kicked in,” Trenary said. “I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time because we were changing meters in the neighborhood. In fact, I had just changed the meter at that home a few days before. I just felt fortunate that I was able to put the fire out for them and save their house.”
Trenary credits both his experience as a firefighter and the regular training at Spire for his quick response. “We’re ready for anything—anything can happen at any time. We’re always prepared.”