This time of year we are all reminded of what we're thankful for. Tonight in our series Thankful to Be Alive, Bill Kotowski introduces us to a man who is thankful for his life and the community who helped him put it back together after his house exploded with him inside.

One day a year we all remember what we have to be thankful for but for McCammon resident Buck Hedges, thanksgiving happens on a daily basis.

February 20, 2008 is a day Buck Hedges will never forget. After he got out of the shower, a propane tank exploded, leveling his home with his entire family inside.

Buck Hedges: "I felt the boom and then I was out for I don't know how long."

Buck's wife Sarah and son Zane were thrown through the air after the blast but sustained only minor injuries. It was Buck who found himself trapped in the burning rubble.

Buck Hedges: "Once I realized I was trapped, it was all I could do to keep from going completely berserk.... just stark terror."

Bannock County Sheriff Deputy Jeff Young was responding to a call nearby when he heard the explosion. Young rushed into the burning home and pulled Hedges to safety. He was later honored for his heroics.

"It was probably the first time in my life I thought, 'Oh, thank gosh the cops are here.' I looked at him and he looked at me and I knew... I mean it's still a pretty scary situation, but I knew I was going to be okay."

Young's was just the first act of kindness. The community rallied behind the Hedges family, raising money and donating clothes and toys and doing a number of things to help support the family while Buck recovered from his burns. In addition to helping rebuild the family's life, a number of local contractors pitched in to help rebuild the home.

"I think Pocatello and Southeastern Idaho is a pretty special community. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Just because I like the people."

After the incident Hedges asked Young what he could do to repay him. Young simply told him to make it count. Since then he has worked to teach his young son about giving service and has even joined the Bannock County Search and Rescue team so he can help others who may find themselves in a situation like his.