Hero Rob Hudson pulled his neighbour from a burning
summer house - and impressed firemen so much they invited him to join up.
Rob, 25, of Waverley Avenue, Kidlington, was in an upstairs bedroom when he heard Pamela Francke's cry for help and saw the converted shed going up in flames.
"I didn't hesitate. I kicked the door in and dragged Pamela out. She was struggling with the lock and calling for her husband but he couldn't hear her," said the delivery driver.
"When the fire crew discovered what happened they asked me if I had thought about being a part-time fire officer.
"I'm very interested. It's only now I realise that I was in any danger. Pamela was in a far worse position than me and all I was concerned about was getting her out."
Rob said Pamela gave him advice on how to prune his bonsai trees. "I got to know her quite well because she would often give me some very useful gardening tips. She is a lovely lady and I just wanted to do whatever I could to help."
Rob added: "Pamela thanked me for rescuing her but she is very shaken and too upset to talk."
Firemen are investigating the cause of the blaze.
Sub-officer Stephen Harrison said: "Mr Hudson was extremely brave and probably saved his neighbour's life.
"He is certainly made of the right stuff and we have spoken to him about the possibility of him becoming a retained firefighter."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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