Amazon driver runs into burning home to rescue a family of seven—and even takes their two dogs to safety

An Amazon delivery driver is being hailed a local hero for running into a burning house to save the family inside. Speaking to CBS2, 22-year-old Kevin Rivera revealed that he was finishing his route around 4 p.m. on Saturday when he noticed the flames near the front of a home on Bluebird Drive in Syosset, Long Island. "I just saw the fire just getting bigger and bigger," he recalled. Through the front door of the single-family home, Rivera saw several people inside—including a woman and a baby—who appeared to be completely unaware of the fire.

Recounting those nerve-racking moments to Daily Mail this week, Rivera shared that he immediately tried to notify the people inside the burning house about the flames. Although a man—who appeared to be the father or grandfather of the four young children inside—came outside to check what the delivery driver was yelling about, he is said to have been so stunned and confused by what he saw that he just stood there. Recognizing the need for immediate action, Rivera himself then ran through the front door to alert the rest of the family and get them to safety.

"I just rushed in, because I didn't want nobody to die in that house," he said. However, due to a language barrier, Rivera said it took them a while to understand what he was saying. "They [were] just confused," he said. Rivera eventually managed to get them to leave through the back door and away from the flames. He also grabbed the family’s two dogs, a golden retriever and a smaller breed. It was only when all got outside that the family saw their burning house and realized how dire the situation was. "They just started crying. They just got emotional," Rivera said. 

Amanda Johnson, who is married to a firefighter with the Syosset Fire Department and had been with him at the firehouse when the 911 call came in on Saturday, was able to document what happened on the scene. "It would have been a lot worse," said Johnson, who shared the incident on social media and praised the delivery driver. "A lot of people are stepping away from doing things today, and he stepped toward this. It's pretty amazing that Kevin did this," she said. "I had the pleasure of spending some time with Kevin today talking about the fire and his actions. Such a sweet and humble guy! He is rightfully getting a lot of attention," Johnson wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Rivera—who has a 3-month-old of his own—said it "brings a lot of joy" that he was able to help a family in their time of need. "To be honest, I just feel great that I did something." Syosset firefighters reached the home just four minutes after the 911 call came in and investigators are now trying to figure out what caused the fire.