LEESBURG, Fla. — An off-duty Leesburg Police Department sergeant is being credited with spotting a house fire, warning a homeowner and helping get her and two dogs out safely after a lightning strike.

Lake & Sumter Style reported that Sgt. Alex Nell was driving along State Road 48 earlier this week when he saw smoke coming from the roof of a home.

Sergeant stopped, called dispatch and moved toward the home

According to the report, Nell pulled over, notified dispatch and went toward the house. The outlet said body-camera footage released by Leesburg police showed smoke already coming from the roof as he approached.

The report said Nell called out to see if anyone was home, then went around the property and onto a back deck. After reaching the homeowner, he told her the house was on fire and helped her move quickly to safety.

“It’s Leesburg Police!” Nell yelled, according to the outlet’s account of the body-camera footage. “Your house is on fire!”

Homeowner, two dogs and vehicle got out safely

The Leesburg Police Department wrote in a public social-media post, as quoted by Lake & Sumter Style, that Nell noticed a home on fire after it had been struck by lightning. The department said the homeowner did not know the house was burning.

Police said Nell assisted the homeowner in getting out, along with two dogs and a vehicle from the garage. The report said no injuries were reported, and the Leesburg Fire Department responded and helped prevent further damage.

For Support Law Enforcement readers, the story is a reminder that police lifesaving work often begins with noticing what others have not seen yet. Nell was off duty, but the response still became a race against smoke, confusion and a homeowner who needed a warning in time to act.

Earlier rescue recognition

Lake & Sumter Style also noted that Nell had previously been credited in 2019 with helping save a 75-year-old woman at a Leesburg gas station when an unattended vehicle began rolling toward her. ThinBlueNews is treating that as background from the source report, not as a new incident.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used source-backed facts from the local report and the police department statement quoted there. The homeowner is not named here, and the featured image does not show the inside of the home, the homeowner’s face or any graphic scene.