WPD Capt. Boisseau Honored for House Fire Heroics

WARWICK, RI —  WPD Capt. Charles Boisseau was off-duty, returning home in Cranston July 5 at 11: 15 p.m. when he spotted a fire at his neighbor’s house, alerting them so they could get out, drawing praise for his house fire heroics.

“It really was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” Boisseau said, noting that he’s not used to a lot of attention for his work, which usually happens behind the scenes.

House fire heroics helped family escape with only minutes to spare

The flames were high and burning rapidly, and as he approached the front door to alert anyone inside, he could see the fire had begun in a large recycling barrel that was up against the house. He knocked and banged on the glass in the front door, but there wasn’t any response.

Boisseau called 911, the first time he’d ever been on that end of an emergency. As he headed toward the home’s garden hose, his neighbor joined him and they tried using the hose to fight the fire, but it was too intense. It began spreading, quickly reaching the second floor of the house. The family got out and he called 911 again. By then, the house was fully engulfed in flames.

“I don’t consider myself a hero,” Boisseau said, “I did what anyone else would do.”

WPD Chief Mike Lima said the fire was attributed to an unusually stubborn batch of spent, legal, fireworks, which the homeowner had disposed of properly, dousing and soaking it before placing it in the bin later in the day.

Wednesday, Warwick and Cranston Mayors Frank Picozzi and Ken Hopkins, City Council members, and state officials including RI Speaker Joe Shekarchi and Rep. Joe Solomon Jr. joined a group of about 30 police, firemen and officials to honor his house fire heroics at WPD headquarters, 99 Vererans Memorial Drive.

Hopkins and Picozzi praised Boisseau’s actions.

“If it had not been for the immediate actions of Capt. Bouisseau, the outcome could have been tragic. We commend his bravery, his selflessness, and risking his life to save others. On behalf of the City of Cranston, we are incredibly grateful, for your quick response, and your bravery, and your actions undoubtedly prevented a potential tragedy. We as the City of Cranston, owe him a great deal of gratitude. I am proud to know officers like Capt. Bouisseau are always ready to step forward in the face of emergency,” Hopkins said.

“Without hesitation, without regard for his own safety, he ran towards danger to rescue the family. That’s not just bravery. It’s heroism, in its purest form,” Picozzi said. “He acted on instict, on heart, a deep commitment to protect and serve, that defines the very best of our officers. Captain, your courage reflects the highest ideals of the Warwick Police Department, and the city, myself and our department are all proud of you. On behalf of the citizens of Warwick, and indeed, the entire state, I thank you  for defining what public service looks like, even when the uniform is off.”

Picozzi, Hopkins and Shekarchi each presented Boisseau a citation thanking him for his actions.