TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) – Two Taylorville Township workers were honored at a township meeting Wednesday night for saving a man from a house fire.

Leroy and Shawn Ackerman, who are father and son, were out checking the roads when they saw a house on Houston Street up in flames.

“Seeing smoke, [we] backed up, checked, and there’s somebody inside asking for help, so we just went in to help,” Shawn Ackerman said.

They went through the back door, saving the man inside.

“[His] hands [were] burned up pretty bad, feet burned up, house completely full of smoke,” Ackerman said.

Taylorville officials described their actions as heroic and the father and son received recognition for it. 

“Your swift and courageous actions on that day led to the saving of a human life,” Taylorville fire chief Matthew Adermann, said. “I feel I speak for everyone in the community and the resident when I offer my sincere gratitude to the actions you performed that day.”

The two received a plaque and letter from Taylorville’s fire department honoring their brave actions.

“It’s kind of like a recognition so the community can see what kind of people we have here, so their family can see just exactly what they did and how important it is to everyone,” Adermann said.

The man in the house was taken to a hospital in Springfield but is improving. Adermann said the man’s family is very appreciative of the Ackermans stepping in to help. 

“They’re extremely grateful, and just beyond words, grateful for what the actions that these guys took to help their family member,” Adermann said.

Both father and son are glad to hear the man they rescued is doing better.

“We just [did] what anybody would have done,” Leroy Ackerman said. “[We] went in, pulled the guy out, got him to safety, gave him a fighting chance, hopefully.”

Adermann said the fire department is still investigating how the fire started.