Mother & 2 Kids Were Trapped in Apartment Fire in Phoenix until Homeless Hero Jumps into Action

In this inspiring short story, a brave homeless man saves a family from a fire. And even though Claudia Jimenez says she owes her life and those of her daughters to Joe Hollins, the humble hero refuses to accept any praise.

To many, Joe Hollins is just a homeless man on the streets. But to Claudia Jimenez, he's a special angel who appeared right in her greatest time of need.

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Claudia awoke to a horrifying situation one day in the wee hours of the early morning. Flames engulfed her apartment, trapping the terrified mom inside with her two young daughters. So, she ran to the window and began screaming for help.

Her frantic pleas reached the ears of a homeless man, Joe Hollins, and his wife, who were camped out on a street nearby.

"All I see is a lady pull open the window and she's screaming 'Please help me, please help me,'" Joe recalled.

Brave Homeless Man Saves Family From Fire

Joe immediately jumped into action. He stood beneath the open window and encouraged Claudia to drop her children down to him. He assured her he would catch them and keep them safe.

RELATED: Special Angel Steps In During Fire In The Bronx To Help Mom And Her Kids Escape

Though it must have gone against every instinct, Claudia dropped her children into the arms of a complete stranger, starting with one-year-old Valerie and then eight-year-old Natalie.

True to his word, Joe Hollins caught both girls and got them to safety. Then, he yelled for Claudia to follow.

"She didn't want to come at first. She was scared she was going to fall," Hollins said. "I was like 'I got you. Don't worry.'" 

Again, Claudia Jimenez took a leap of faith, landing safely in the waiting arms of her rescuer, Joe.

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"I will forever be thankful to him," Claudia said. "To me, he was an angel. Because of him, we're here -- we're alive and my daughters are safe."

Praise Pours In For Joe Hollins

Claudia isn't the only one in awe over Joe's bravery. It's not every day a homeless man saves an entire family from fire. All who hear the story have been praising Joe Hollins for his quick thinking and courage.

However, the humble hero doesn't feel he's done anything special. He's certain anyone else would do the same.

"Those are children," he said. 

Sadly, not everyone would have jumped in to help the family in danger. But Joe was in the right place at the right time to save a family from tragedy.

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So many people look down on the homeless and make unfair assumptions about them and their situation. But Joe Hollins is a wonderful reminder of why you should never judge a book by its cover. Given the chance, someone experiencing hard times just might surprise you with their heart and compassion!

WATCH: Homeless Man Saves Family From Apartment Fire In Phoenix

LISTEN: 6 Generations Of Family Shown In Photo | An ‘Angel’ Saves Grandma Trapped In A Fire

h/t: CBS News

Featured Image Credit: Youtube/CBS News

Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!