A 74-year-old man was rescued from a burning vehicle by bystanders in Clearwater, Florida, on Friday, according to the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department.
Officials released video of the incident showing two stages of the response: the moment citizens pulled the driver from the car and the arrival of firefighters who worked to contain the flames and care for the man.
The fire department publicly thanked the people who stepped in before crews arrived, calling them “hero citizens” for acting quickly when the man could not get out on his own.
“Thank you to the hero citizens who helped save a man’s life after he was unable to get out of his burning car this afternoon,” the department said in a statement.
Flames had begun to spread around the vehicle by the time rescue crews reached the scene.
Firefighters provided medical care to the driver and worked to put out the fire before it could ignite the fuel tank.
“And thanks to our crew members who responded to help the man get medical care and ensure the car didn’t explode from the flames enveloping it,” the statement added.