HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A house on Wells Avenue went up in flames Wednesday morning with an elderly couple still inside. If it wasn’t for the quick wit of a few construction workers heading to work down the street, the two could have lost their lives.

Huntsville police and fire crews responded to the fire, but before they could arrive, the men were there to help.

“We just noticed smoke coming from the house. As we were looking, the smoke got thicker and thicker,” said Terry Parks, a construction worker who saw the fire from nearby.

A couple of his coworkers called for help. Parks said something in his gut told him to go knock on the home’s door. “I had to see if there was any elderly people or kids in the house. That was my main concern.”

Parks said a man answered the door, completely unaware of the fire in his home.

“There was two elderly people in the house. They were still in the bed, so I went in and got him out safely,” said Parks. “He wanted to go back in and get his shoes and keys and I said, ‘You can’t go back inside.'”

After getting the man out, he said he went back inside for the man’s wife who was deaf. “Aww man, she just embraced me. Thanked me. Tears, she was crying. I said, ‘I’m just glad I got you out the house, ma’am.”‘

Although the couple lost their home, they are fortunate enough to be able to still have their lives.

“I just did what any other person would’ve done,” said Parks. He added he’s far from a hero. “I’m just an average man living an average life. That’s all I am.” He said he was just glad he quickly thought to go knock on that door.

Officials have not determined what caused the fire.