SALISBURY — Three Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call of suspicious activity Monday night  at an empty residence on Windswept Way only to find the residence on fire and one member of a work crew still inside.

According to Maj. John Sifford, three officers — Sgt. Patrick Schmeltzer, Deputy William Johnson, and Deputy Hannah Hodges — were approaching a residential mobile home about 11:30 p.m. when “they heard yelling and three men came running across the yard at the deputies.” At the same time, the deputies saw flames through the windows and black smoke coming out of the front door.

“They told the deputies that one of the crew was still inside,” said Sifford.

The unit was being renovated and stairs to both the front and side doors had been removed. Sgt. Schmeltzer jumped in the front door, said Sifford, and began yelling for anyone inside. He noted the fire seemed to be in a debris pile that had then spread along one outside wall.

Johnson went to the side door and was attempting to get in, and told the other two he could see an individual in the room.

Schmeltzer noted the smoke had gotten heavier and he could see the fire was growing, but he and Johnson managed to meet in the room where the fourth crew member was and drag him out.

Hodges had gotten two fire extinguishers from their vehicles, and the deputies were able, using those, to extinguish visible signs of the fire by the time firefighters and EMS arrived. Firefighters completed putting out the fire and any hotspots, and EMS evaluated both Schmeltzer and the fourth man they pulled from the building, treating both for minor smoke inhalation. Neither was taken to the hospital.

Sifford said it appeared the men were working at the site and had been using paint thinner. A spark hit something containing the thinner and a fire quickly broke out.

All three deputies have been recommended for commendation for their actions.

“It makes you feel great, it makes all of us proud, when you have people willing to go the extra mile,” said Sifford of his fellow officers. “To know they were making sure everybody got out safe without a second thought, that’s a good thing.”