A Kirkland, Wash. resident is crediting his late-night sweet tooth for possibly saving lives.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 30, Kyle Eskelin was up late watching television when he decided to grab some yogurt as a snack. It was then that the self-proclaimed “night owl” noticed a fire blazing across the street from his home, KING 5 reports.
According to KIRO 7, the Kirkland Fire Department was dispatched to the 13100 block of 129th Avenue Northeast shortly before 2 a.m.
Kirkland Fire Battalion Chief Arthur Lim said an empty home under construction was the first to catch fire, and flames quickly spread to an adjacent home, which happens to belong to Eskelin’s girlfriend, Michelle Landwehr.
“My girlfriend’s house, which is next door to that house that was ablaze, was also on fire. That’s when I ran over, I grabbed my fire extinguisher, called 911. It was a very scary situation. It was definitely the scariest day of my life,” Eskelin told KIRO 7.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Eskelin ran across the street to wake Landwehr and her daughter, noting that their smoke alarm didn’t appear to be working, he told KIRO 7.
Eskelin told KING 5 that his rescue began when he saw an orange blaze. “I ran down there, looked out the window, and the neighbor’s house was completely on fire,” he said.
“It was a very frightening moment — especially seeing her house on fire. You know, the love of my life, sitting there, sleeping away,” he continued.
Per KING 5, Eskelin and Landwehr met four years ago when they were working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been together ever since.
Getty
“It’s incredible that we were able to meet — and who would have thought that he would save my life one day? Both of our lives,” she told the news station.
Eskelin said Landwehr used to make fun of him for always staying up so late, but now they are both grateful.
“In this case, it was a blessing,” he added.
Per KIRO 7, the 2-alarm fire resulted in the first home being a total loss. No injuries were reported.
After battling flames for about an hour and staying to make sure there were no hot spots still active, firefighters also assessed the damage to Landwehr’s home — which included minimal charring of the side of the home and attic.
“It was a weird feeling later,” Eskelin told KIRO 7. “I went back to my kitchen and saw the yogurt I went to go grab sitting on the counter still, and looked, and thought, ‘This was the yogurt that potentially saved lives.’ ”
