An investigator with the Division of Fire Safety is the December State Employee of the Month.
Ryan Lesh is from House Springs in Jefferson County and has worked in the office for nearly two years.
Lesh's supervisor, Jason Dunn, nominated Lesh for the award for his actions during a fire near his home in September.
Lesh heard an explosion and went to investigate what had happened without being requested.
When he got on the scene, Lesh found the remains of a single-family home that was heavily damaged. He began to look for occupants and found a neighbor who was attempting to rescue a woman from the residence. The man had become trapped in some of the debris.
An off-duty Kirkwood firefighter also arrived on the scene and he and Lesh were able to get the woman and man out from under several feet of burning debris. The woman told Lesh and the firefighter that her husband was still inside, but due to the amount of damage, the two men and other rescuers could not get inside. The man died.
"Front-line rescue or response are not part of the duties as a state fire investigator," Dunn said in his nomination letter. "Ryan's initiative to run toward danger reverts back to Ryan's background as a military veteran and his contribution to his community as a volunteer firefighter."