Mailman 'saves Christmas' by pulling packages out of burning truck

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. - A Kansas mailman’s quick action likely saved Christmas for several families waiting on packages after his mail truck caught fire.

The unidentified postal worker was working Sunday morning when he suddenly smelled and noticed smoke coming from the mail truck and pulled over to the side of the road, according to Osawatomie Fire Department Chief Brian Love.

When the postal worker determined he wouldn’t be able to control the fire, he quickly emptied the Amazon packages and other deliveries from the back of his truck, Love said.

The burned out mail truck is pictured, alongside packages saved by the unidentified postal worker. (Photo credit: Osawatomie Volunteer Fire Department)

Love said responding firefighters found the front half of the mail truck fully engulfed in flames.

“We arrived on scene to find the driver out of the vehicle, uninjured, standing near the pile of packages in the grass several feet away from the truck,” Love said.

“The driver had removed all of the packages before any were damaged by the fire,” he added.

The Osawatomie Volunteer Fire Department shared photos of the scene on Facebook, writing: “Your Prime delivery may have just lost its Prime. The good news is, the mailman saved Christmas!”

The fire was determined to have started in the engine compartment. No injuries were reported.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.