A Rochester volunteer firefighter delayed on his way home ended up being in the right place at the right time to save a Rochester family who was asleep when their home caught fire earlier this month.

David Lawson was returning home in the early morning hours of Jan. 19 when his vehicle struck a deer, according to our news partners ABC 57.

When he finally turned onto his street, he noticed smoke rising from the vents of a house.

“I made contact with dispatch through my phone, I went up and started beating on the door and woke the residents up and got them out,” Lawson told ABC 57.

The family got out safely, but their home was seriously damaged in the fire.

Find out more about the fire and how to help the family as they search for a new place to live in the full story from ABC 57.