Tracy Durant’s quick thinking saved her family’s home from being engulfed in flames when her mother wasn’t on the premise.
The fire started inside the house, according to WEAR-TV, when Durant’s 13-year-old cousin was cooking chicken. When Durant noticed the fire, she put the fire safety lessons she learned in school to use, ran to a neighbor’s house and asked to call 911.
Everyone escaped the fire including her 11-month-old cousin. The 13-year-old cousin is in serious condition and is being transported to a hospital in Gainesville, according to the local news station.
“I feel happy to save my baby cousin because I didn’t want him to get killed,” she told WEAR. “He is eleven months and he will turn one next month on the ninth … No one got hurt except for Shemaiah. I really don’t want her to get hurt because she was watching us until momma came back.”
A 7-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero after acting quickly to save her family from flames after a fire broke out in Escambia County Sunday morning – More tonight @weartv #C3N pic.twitter.com/fggOEda4eZ
— Jamarlo Q. Phillips (@VoiceofJP) January 28, 2018
County officials said although the fire started in one room, smoke damage spread throughout the house.