Walnut Hill Community Church Members Save 6 People, Family Pet, In House Fire

WATERBURY, CT — An elder of Walnut Hill Community Church posted on his Facebook page that some quick-thinking Walnut Hill Community Church members saved the life of four children, two adults and the family dog after noticing that the house next door to the church had caught fire.

Bethel-based Walnut Hill Community Church recently opened several satellite churches in New Milford, Seymour, Waterbury and New Milford. The fire happened near their Waterbury campus.

Ridgefield resident Marty Heiser, who is a longtime member and elder of the church, posted on his Facebook page on Sunday:

"Hero police officer Will Chapman and three other members of Walnut Hill Community Church Waterbury campus on Bunker Hill rescued 4 kids 2 adults and a dog off the roof of the back porch of this home. While the 9 a.m. service was going on, a congregant noticed that the house next door had caught on fire. Will Chapman, Tim McCandless, Luke Amory, and Tony Bonifasco, three heroes from WHCC, sprang into action and with complete disregard for their own safety climbed up to the roof of the porch while the entire house was completely engulfed in flames.

"After standing on a discarded stove on the back porch one-by-one they lowered the panic stricken residents to safety starting with the smallest child. If not for the quick response of these brave men the results could have been tragic. We thank God for the outcome and stand to saulute these brave brothers in the Lord."

One of the women rescued, wrote to Mr. Heiser:

"I will never be able to thank these amazing people enough for risking their lives to save my daughter, my sister, my nieces, my nephew, and my brother in law. I thank God that all my family members made it out alive! My family has been through so much grief these past several years, I hope and pray that everything will get better for everyone of us sometime soon."

Photos by Marty Heiser