A fire erupted in a Canyon Lake home shortly before 1 p.m. on Halloween, sending one occupant and one good samaritan to the hospital and causing damage to the kitchen, attic, and roof.
Off-duty police sergeant and Canyon Lake resident Ryan Clark was driving home on the afternoon of October 31 when he noticed smoke coming from a residence in the 23000 block of Canyon Lake Drive North.
“I wasn’t sure if the smoke was coming from a fireplace or the backyard,” Ryan said. “I slowed down and that’s when I noticed the smoke was very dark, indicating a house fire.”
At about the same time, off-duty firefighter Harvey Hewitt and his wife, Gari, a nurse, pulled over. Gari was on the phone with 911 when Ryan approached and asked Harvey to notify the sheriff’s deputy, who Ryan saw sitting in his patrol vehicle when he entered the east gate a few seconds earlier. While Harvey drove off to notify the deputy, Ryan checked the residence for occupants and pets.
“When I reached the front door, I could hear the smoke alarm,” Ryan said. “That’s when I knew that it was the house that was on fire.”
When he didn’t get a response after banging on the front door, Ryan entered the residence, which was unlocked. “The house was filled with smoke,” Ryan said. “I took a couple of steps inside and noticed the homeowner, who appeared to be distressed.”
Ryan assisted the elderly woman out of the residence and instructed Gari to turn off the power to the residence and turn on the garden hose. While Gari escorted the victim to the neighbor’s residence, Ryan reentered the burning home to look for additional victims and to fight the blaze with the garden hose until help arrived.
Fire crews from Canyon Lake, Corona, Murrieta, and Riverside County arrived on the scene. Canyon Lake Community Patrol assisted with traffic control.
Ryan was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center and treated for smoke inhalation. The homeowner was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center.
“It was a team effort with the Hewitts,” Ryan said. “Once they arrived on the scene, they never left, ensuring that both the homeowner and I were okay.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
During his 27-year career as a police officer, Clark has received a “Top Cop” Award from President Clinton, a Medal of Valor from the City of Los Angeles, and three life-saving medals, including one for giving emergency medical treatment to an off-duty Riverside County firefighter who was injured in a golf cart accident. Prior to his career as a police officer, Clark served six years in the military.
