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Off-Duty Police Officer Rescues Arlington Woman From Burning Home

ARLINGTON (CBS) --  An Arlington Police Officer earns high praise from his boss for off-the-clock heroics.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports

Off-Duty Police Officer Rescues Arlington Woman From Burning Home

Officer Michael Hogan ran into a burning home on Webster Street Tuesday and carried an elderly woman to safety.

"Officer Hogan has four children and a wife battling cancer and he abandoned them to run and help a neighbor," Chief Frederick Ryan told reporters Wednesday. "He's a leader in this community."

Hogan was off-duty, but near Webster Street training for the PanMass Challenge; he had just completed 20-miles on his bike when he saw the flames coming from a neighbor's home.

"The whole back of the house was really roaring," Hogan said.

When he arrived, Hogan says another man, John Flynn, was already busting windows on the front door with a hammer. Once the men got inside, Flynn walked the house looking for anyone trapped while Hogan picked up the 85-year-old homeowner who requires oxygen.

"There was a ton of glass on the floor so at that point I said 'I'll just pick you up and get you out of here,'" said Hogan.

The woman was taken to Mt. Auburn Hospital but police did not have an update on her condition Wednesday morning. Her adult daughter also made it out of the home. Investigators have not said what caused the fire yet.

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