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An 85-year-old man from New Jersey is being hailed as a hero for saving a family whose house was on fire. The South Brunswick Township Police Department said that Santo Livio noticed what appeared to be smoke coming from the garage of his neighbor's home.
Livio wasn't sure if it was smoke or just the early-morning fog, so he asked another woman who was walking past the house. After she confirmed that it was smoke, they rushed to the house and started knocking on the doors and banging on the windows.
The commotion woke up the family, who had no idea their garage was on fire. As they rushed out of their house, Livio called 911. Firefighters from three towns arrived at the house and put the flames out in about 20 minutes.
Authorities praised Livio for saving the family and are trying to identify the other woman, who left the area before firefighters arrived.
"I credit Mr. Livio, along with the unidentified woman, and their quick thinking and heroic actions with saving the family," Chief Raymond J. Hayducka said in a statement.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.