WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. — A firefighter battled a house fire by himself for about 35 minutes early Thursday.

KTVI reported that the lone firefighter, volunteer Dontay Brooks, worked by himself to keep the vacant house fire from spreading to an occupied home next door. Help from nearby fire districts didn't arrive for half an hour, according to the report.

“It is tough to be here with just the six volunteers that are here,” Brooks said. At the time of the fire, Brooks was the only one at the fire house, according to the report.

A police officer tried to wake the woman in the house next door, but got no answer. She finally woke up when firefighters started spraying water on her house.

No one was injured.