A Michigan man was fired last month after he left his position greeting customers at the entrance to a store and rushed with a fire extinguisher to put out a car fire in the parking lot.

David Bowers, 62, was fired by the Meijer store in Gaylord, Michigan, after helping a distressed customer.

"When the guy came in and said his dashboard was on fire I grabbed the fire extinguisher and I followed him outside and sure enough his dashboard was on fire," Bowers told WPBN in Michigan.

Bowers helped put out the fire, but was dismissed by the company for not following policy.

"The safety of our customers and team members is a top priority at Meijer. We have a very specific protocol in place for our team members to follow when emergencies occur and we can't allow any deviation from the policy that could put our customers or team members at risk," Meijer told WPBN.

The customer who Bowers helped is baffled: "I thought that was what we were supposed to do, you know you have somebody that is in need, don't you help them, but I guess not."

Bowers has been unable to find a new position since his dismissal.