Off-duty police officer on way to work helps save man from Lincoln house fire

Feb. 12--An off-duty Lincoln police officer driving to work helped save a man from a burning home Monday afternoon, a police department spokeswoman said.

In her own car and not in uniform, Officer Taylor Murphy was flagged down shortly after 3:30 p.m. by a girl saying a house at 10th and B streets was on fire, Officer Angela Sands said.

The girl told Murphy there was another resident inside 1309 S. 10th St. and that she couldn't get him out.

So the officer went into the smoke-filled unit and helped the 40-year-old man, who didn't want to leave, out of the home as an on-duty officer responded and assisted, she said.

Murphy, who's been on the force for two years, reported some smoke inhalation but didn't seek medical treatment.

She then went to work and completed her shift.

Fire investigators determined the fire was caused by unattended cooking in the neighboring unit of the duplex.

No one was injured.

The fire caused $170,000 to the structure. None of the residents had renter's insurance.

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