‘Dude, I just put out a fire’

Apparently, if he’s not busy constructing homes, he’s busy saving them.

In what could have been a greater loss than it was, Newport Beach concrete construction worker John Balch helped suppress a kitchen fire with only a garden hose in a Corona del Mar home Wednesday afternoon until firefighters arrived minutes later.

To say he was proud of his quick thinking, or excited to battle flames for even a moment, would be an understatement.

“I got in the door, leaned down. Dude, just like in the movies, there was tons of smoke. It was so exciting!” said Balch, a superintendent for a local construction company. “I crouched, I was just sprayin’ and sprayin’ and noticed I was killing the flames and was like ‘Oh my God! I’m doing this!’”

Firefighters were called to a home in the 400 block of Marguerite Avenue just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday after neighbors called 9-1-1 at the behest of Balch. His help kept the fire limited to the kitchen, minimizing the damage, officials said. Investigators believe the fire started from an unattended cigarette in the kitchen.

Minutes earlier, headed to work, Balch had passed by the home and saw smoke rising from the top. He said he did a double-take, then convinced himself to turn around and check it out. Passing the house from the back through the alley, Balch said he smelled burning plastic and began shouting for neighbors to call 9-1-1.

“I happened to be in the right place at the right time and I did the right thing, and it makes me feel really good,” Balch said. “Dude, I just put out a fire!”

When firefighters arrived, Balch stepped aside and let them finish the job. Officials said he kept a bad situation from becoming worse.

“Obviously, every second counts in a fire,” said Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz. “He was very, very helpful.”

“I always wanted to be that guy that did something cool,” Balch said. “Maybe I did.”

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.