Mail carriers, it&#8217s long been said, deliver more than mail.

Mailman Thomas Matuszek is a testament to that familiar adage.

Several years ago, while on his route, he rushed into a parked car after the gear shift

slipped, putting it into park as the owner making a repair dangled from the car door.

And last Monday, Matuszek had another unexpected encounter while walking his route in the

Town of Tonawanda. This time, he may have saved an elderly woman&#8217s life.

It occurred after a fire broke out in Adele Stokes&#8217 kitchen on Coventry Road. She had

left a plastic cutting board on a heated burner, which quickly filled her small apartment with

thick smoke.

&#8220I just thank God I was there,&#8221 Matuszek said. &#8220It happened so fast that

there was no time to really think. You just had to do things instinctively.&#8221

&#8220Without him, I wouldn&#8217t be here with you,&#8221 the 84-year-old Stokes said.

&#8220He was the perfect person to have at [my] side. He did all the right things.&#8221

The fire happened on a typical shift during which he delivers mail to 518 residents.

Matuszek smelled smoke, ran past a couple of houses and heard the faint sound of a woman

yelling, &#8220Help! Fire!&#8221 from a small apartment building.

He dropped his bulky mail satchel, ran inside and found Stokes in the kitchen trying to

dash 2- to 3-foot-high flames. Grabbing what looked to be a piece of asbestos from her hand,

Matuszek also tried, without success, to quickly halt the fire.

So, he called 911, and then stepped into the hallway yelling, &#8220Everybody out!&#8221

&#8220I thought, I have to get these people out of there, and that&#8217s what I did,&#8221

Matuszek said.

There was one other person home in the four-unit apartment building, who quickly fled.

Stokes was reluctant to leave, so Matuszek carried her out.

He then ran back into the apartment to make sure the burners on the stove were turned off

in case it was a gas stove (it was electric) to avert an explosion.

A contingent from a Tonawanda volunteer fire department, located a short distance away,

arrived in a couple of minutes and extinguished the fire before any serious damage occurred,

Matuszek said.

A fire department official visited Matuszek&#8217s superior that afternoon to tell her

that, without Matuszek&#8217s action, the outcome could have been far worse.

Stokes now knows that, too.

&#8220I know as well as anybody to call the fire department, but it wasn&#8217t in me to do

it,&#8221 Stokes said. &#8220I&#8217m like, I can&#8217t let them know this is happening to

me. I wasn&#8217t thinking that straight that I should get out of here.&#8221

Matuszek downplayed his actions, but Patricia Pughakoff, manager of the Northside postal

facility, would have none of it.

&#8220He is definitely a true hero in my eyes. ... It is so nice to know that Thomas

Matuszek represented the U.S. Postal Service in the utmost professional way, and we are very

proud to have him on our team,&#8221 she said.

Matuszek dismissed the notion that he is a hero.

&#8220It certainly doesn&#8217t make me a hero &#8212 it makes me attentive, and I enjoy

helping people. I just hope someone would do the same for my family,&#8221 Matuszek said.

Bob MacLennon, president of the Letter Carriers Union, praised Matuszek&#8217s action and

said it&#8217s no exaggeration to say it&#8217s all in a day&#8217s work for mail carriers.

&#8220We don&#8217t get much publicity for this, but virtually every week there is a

carrier to help some kid in trouble, or an elderly person who falls down and needs help,&#8221

he said. &#8220There are many times where carriers see something wrong and notify the

police.&#8221

Mail carriers have suggested not having them in neighborhoods on Saturdays will be one of

the fallouts if, as is being considered, mail delivery is reduced from six days to five to

help reduce the postal service&#8217s deficit.

Stokes, who now has a new stove, said she will forever be grateful to her mailman.

&#8220I went down yesterday when I knew he was coming in and I said, &#8216Hi, you&#8217re

not rid of me. You&#8217re with me forever.&#8217 &#8221