Two Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department employees will be honored by the Hughson City Council for the heroic actions they took to evacuate a burning home.

Sheriff’s department’s Sgt. John Walker and Deputy Jesses Grogan, who is assigned to the Hughson Police Department, are being recognized for going above and beyond the normal call of duty at the council’s meeting at 7 p.m. Monday.

On the night of Aug.30, walker was on a routine patrol in the Hughson area when he was flagged down by a citizen at the intersection of Tully and Fox roads.

The citizen said a fire was burning at a home in the 6700 block of Fox Road and that it was growing rapidly. Walker notified dispatchers of the fire and sped off to the scene.

When Walker arrived he saw the detached carport was fully engulfed and that the flames were licking the nearby home.

Walker ran into the house and found an elderly woman and five children in the house and helped them out to safety.

As he was escorting them out, the woman informed him there were two more children asleep in the house.

Realizing time was of the essence, Walker ran back into the burning house, retrieved the two children and carried them out to safety.

By this time Grogan had arrived at the scene.

Despite the heat, smoke, and other obvious personal dangers of entering a burning home without usual firefighting equipment, Walker and Grogan re-entered the house for a  final time to ensure no other occupants were inside or further threatened.

According to the firefighters at the site, any type of delay on Walker’s behalf could have left the occupants trapped inside the fully engulfed home.

Hughson Police Services Chief Janet Rasmussen commended both men for their “selflessness” and “heroic actions.”

The public is invited to join the celebration. The Hughson City Council meets at 7018 Pine St.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.