'Angels' Rescue Couple From Raging House Fire In Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A faulty door and a raging fire nearly cost a family their lives.

"It was a horrific situation when we were stuck in there, the door would not come open," said Regena Ivory.

Thanks to heroic efforts by two strangers, the couple lived to tell their story.

"Come on in, come on in," Regena said while welcoming in Sacramento Police officers and the maintenance man from her old property. "I'm so glad you guys were there."

It was a tearful reunion with the men who saved their lives. Two weeks ago the couple nearly perished.

"I saw the flames going up over ceiling and I knew we had to get out and when I rounded the corner I said Lord please let that door open," Regena said.

The front door wouldn't budge and a fire broke out in the back, which trapped Henry and Regena Ivory inside. The dramatic efforts and the aftermath were all caught on camera.

"I just said God, help us get out of here Jesus, Jesus, Jesus that's all I know and he did. He had angels in place," she said.

School resource officer Carlos Martinez just happened to see the smoke and sped toward it. He found the maintenance man, Rodolfo Espinoza, screaming for his help.

"He pulled the door and I was breaking the windows," Espinoza said.

"That smoke just rushed out and to be honest you couldn't see anything inside," Martinez said.

Risking their own lives, the two men went inside.

"We were able to save these people and get them out of the house," Martinez said. "I'm just glad they're OK."

Everything was OK, except for their home of 10 years. It doesn't look all that bad from the outside, but on the inside of the home is destroyed. The community pitched in to help get this couple back on their feet.

"We know that we had to do a little something," said Sgt. Justin Brown.

With assistance from the department, gifts were made possible from Walmart and RC Wiley.

"Hopefully this helps start rebuilding," a spokesman for the company said.

"I have a lot to thank everyone for," Henry said. "It's by the grace of God that we are living and here today."

And thanks to the heroic action by the men who found themselves in the line of fire.

"I would do it again no problem," Espinoza said.

"It's a little different. I don't think it's on the job details when I signed up for the school unit, but it all comes with the badge and the patch," Martinez added.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The couple had work done on their home earlier that day and say it could be related.