"I went to get a garden hose to extinguish it," Ryan said.
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There was only one problem - the water was off for the winter, so he ran back into the garage.
"I wanted to see if maybe I could just stomp it out. As soon as I opened the door, there was enough air - it flashed over," Ryan adds.
The fire knocked him out. His wife, a former firefighter, tried to help but was unable to drag him to safety, so she called 911.
The first to respond to the scene was a Butler police officer. He was unable to pull Ryan to safety, but when the second officer arrived, who is also a volunteer firefighter, together they saved the unconscious homeowner.
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"I certainly thing the fire department training has helped me throughout my career, in responding to any fire alarm calls," said Sgt. Colleen Pascale.
For 26 years, Ryan has been a former volunteer firefighter in Butler - in fact, he was the fire chief. He spent a lifetime racing to emergency calls like this, and telling people to never run into a burning building.
"I thought I could. I thought I had time. There was no time - literally seconds it took off," he said.
Ryan broke his own cardinal rule, and almost paid with his life. Now, amidst the burnt wreckage - his bike, his old fire helmet, he is giving thanks that he was pulled out just in time.