A Cole County family escaped a Friday morning house fire thanks to an unknown good Samaritan.
The fire at 5002 Bagnall Drive was reported around 3:45 a.m., according to reports from the Cole County Fire Protection District.
A driver was passing the house and saw the fire. They got out, knocked on the front door, and woke up the woman and three children inside, who were able to get out safely.
The fire started on the outside of the home, so smoke detectors in the home did not sound.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames and smoke coming from the front of the home.
Fire crews contained the blaze to one bedroom of the home, but there was smoke damage throughout the structure and some fire damage in the attic.
The family found shelter at a nearby home, and the home is believed to be repairable.
"The passerby needs to be given all the credit in the world for what they did," said Cole County Fire Protection District Spokesman Steve Cearlock. "If they hadn't done what they did, we probably would have been dealing with a much more serious situation."