Stranger Saves Man From Burning Alabama Home Using His Bible

A stranger driving past a house fire on Highway 280 in Camp Hill, Alabama, turned his car around and saved a man's life using nothing but quick thinking and a Bible.

James Ryan and his wife were heading through Tallapoosa County when they spotted smoke. At first, they thought someone was burning leaves, but something told them to take a second look.

When they circled back, they found Joe Sims on his front porch as flames consumed his family's century-old home. Getting him to safety proved harder than Ryan expected.

"He just insisted that he was waiting for the fire department," Ryan said. "I could feel the fire getting hotter as it was coming through the window."

Joe refused to leave. The flames grew closer. Ryan needed a new approach.

He spotted Joe's Bible sitting on the porch swing beside his glasses. Ryan grabbed the Bible and started walking away, saying "Come on Joe, I'm going." Joe reached for his Bible, and Ryan grabbed him and pulled him off the porch to safety.

The home had stood since 1928. Paula Sims, Joe's wife, had lived there since she was six weeks old. The fire destroyed everything, including countless family photos of grandchildren.

Sunny's Take

Ryan's decision to turn around came from deep personal experience. His own home burned down in Calera in 2010. He couldn't drive past knowing someone might be trapped in a fire.

"I could not have continued the drive knowing someone could be suffering in a house fire," he said.

Paula calls the outcome lucky despite losing everything. Everyone made it out alive, and strangers stopped to help. The Red Cross has connected with the family to provide support, and a GoFundMe campaign is helping them rebuild.

Ryan understood exactly what to do because fire had touched his life before, and that painful memory became someone else's miracle.