An elderly mother and disabled daughter are safe thanks to a brave neighbor after a man ran inside their burning home on O Street Southeast, possibly saving their lives.

First responders arrived on the scene shortly after 10:30 a.m., and found smoke coming from the front of the house, located in the 3700 block of O Street, SE. Officials quickly located the fire in an enclosed back porch. Initial reports showed people were possibly trapped.

"She's like a mother and she's like a sister." Elizsabeth Evans is an amputee. Her mother, Sarah Evans, is 74-years-old. Both say they survived a fast-moving fire thanks to their longtime friend Abdullah Hakim.

"I am just thankful he was around to get me out. That's what I am thankful and grateful for." All three were in the basement of the home cleaning up when they smelled trouble. "Like when you smell a wire burning and you can't trace it."

"I said something ain't right so when I ran up the steps, the whole kitchen was in smoke and the back was in flames." Hakim called 911 and raced to help his friends. 

"I gotta get them out here. So I am running all over the place got to get her out first." The back of the house was engulfed. Elizabeth Evans didn't stand a chance without help.

"He was moving. He got us all out of the house, so I am happy." Hakim, 58-years-old, had to carry Evans out of the house while she was in the wheelchair. He is blind in one eye and has diabetes.

"Whole lotta things wrong with this body, but I thank God he gave me the strength to do what a man supposed to do." He ran back into danger to get the mother. "I am so tired I just want to sit here and wonder how in the world did that happen."

The granddaughter rushed home to find her loved ones were okay, but the family's house was a loss. "That's just materialistic. I mean, who cares? We can always rebuild."

"You're not supposed to feel sorry for yourself because you are lucky you stayed here this long." And they were luck their friend was there when he was needed the most. "I am ready to cry myself. That's why I give God all praises."

Investigators say the cause of the fire appears to be electrical in nature; however, the fire is still under investigation .