11-Year-Old Hero Saves Family From Fire

Neighbors are calling 11-year-old Kimberly Martinez a hero after she saved her family from a disastrous two-alarm fire. According to Boston 25 News, Martinez smelled smoke around 1 a.m. on Sunday in her family’s apartment on Sagamore Avenue in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Martinez told Boston 25 News that she rushed to put out the flames using water bottles, but once she realized that the flames were growing quicker than she could put them out, she decided to come up with a new plan.

Martinez woke her parents before running across the street to the fire department to bang on the doors as she dialed 911.

While firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly, the fire still caused an estimated $200,000 in damages. In addition to property damage, several firefighters suffered from minor injuries.

According to Boston 25 News, there were eight adults and two children in the building, including Martinez and her parents. Residents of the triple-decker were asked to relocate for the night and officials are claiming that the house is now uninhabitable.

To ensure residents’ safety, an MBTA bus was called to keep them warm until the Red Cross could arrive.