ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. --
In an ironic twist, a firefighter headed to work for the last time Saturday morning helped save two teenagers from their burning home.
Orange County Fire Rescue Captain Larry Stone was driving along State Road 408 near Rouse Road when he spotted a column of smoke in the distance. He called 911 then headed toward the smoke. It was coming from a home at 551 Cypress Tree Court in East Orange County.
Stone got to the scene and went inside with Elfrida Ramos. Her two daughters were still asleep. Stone woke them up and rushed them outside.
"Every day in the fire service something different happens," Stone said. "You don't expect something like this to happen on your last day employed as a firefighter."
Minutes later, emergency workers arrived and doused the flames. The damage was contained to the kitchen. No one was hurt.
"Had he not come, maybe I would have not gotten my daughters out of my house and maybe they would have died," Ramos said.
Tiffany Ramos, who was saved along with her sister, appreciated the actions of Captain Stone.
"I thought it was very thoughtful," she said.
Stone has been a firefighter for 30 years. He has been with Orange County Fire Rescue for 24 years, he said. He is based out of Fire Station # 80.
"Would you call your actions heroic?" WFTV reporter Ryan Hughes asked.
"No. No. I think anybody down the street would have probably done the same thing I did," Stone said.
Stone will retire next week and plans to spend time with his two young children.
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