A sheriff's deputy was searching for a suspect early Tuesday morning but ended up saving a family from a fire instead.
The deputy from the Durham County Sheriff's Office spotted the fire around 1 a.m. at a home on Cheek Road near Burton Road.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire coming from a storage closet in the back of the home.
According to Redwood Fire Chief Randy Clements, the deputy woke up at least two people who were sleeping inside. They got out safely, and no one was injured.
Clements said the fire started at the hot water heater, which was in the closet, and then spread up the back of the home.
The Durham County Fire Marshall’s Office is looking into what sparked the fire.