DAMASCUS, Md. (ABC7) — A U.S. Postal Service letter carrier is being recognized for delivering heroism on his mail route.

Around 11:45 a.m. last Tuesday, mailman Daniel Colon pulled up to a home along Largo Court in Damascus. As he opened a mailbox, Colon noticed smoke wafting into the air. It turned out a Ford Expedition had caught fire in the driveway, and quickly spread orange flames to the two-story brick home.

Colon exited his mail truck, walked to the front door and rang the smart doorbell. That sent an alert to homeowner Kani Bassey’s cell phone as she drove down Interstate 270 to a workout class. The mother-of-four had just left her home 15 minutes earlier.

“He said, ‘Your car is on fire.’ I said, ‘What do you mean my car is on fire!?'”

Bassey’s Vivint doorbell camera captured Colon as he called 911 to report the emergency. In that same video, Bassey’s crated dogs and pet ferret could be heard panicking inside. After hanging up with 911, Colon ran back to his mail truck for cover from the fire, which was growing in size.

Meanwhile, Bassey turned around on I-270 and sped back home, arriving in what she estimates to have been about 20 minutes. By that time, Montgomery County firefighters were busy extinguishing the blaze at her home of 15 years. Bassey was greatly relieved to see her Shih Tzu, named Bianka, Maltipoo, named Sammy Davis Jr., and ferret, named Barkley, alive and uninjured.

Colon, however, was noticeably missing from the scene. It turned out, he had already returned to his mail route.

“He takes his job very seriously,” Bassey said with a chuckle. “And for that I’m extremely appreciative.”