After a fire started in the night, a clever 5-year-old boy led his toddler sister and family dog out of the house to safety. However, his family has come forward to explain why the courageous boy ran back in one last time as the fire raged.
There are very few people who would risk their lives to save another, especially if it meant running back into an inferno that they had just escaped. Of course, not everyone can be as brave as 5-year-old Noah Woods, who has been hailed a hero in his hometown in Georgia — and rightfully so.
The youngster has become a legend in Kingston, which is where the devastating fire broke out in his former home in the middle of the night. Bartow County Fire and Rescue investigators say the blaze began in the children’s bedroom while the family was fast asleep. It was then that Noah sprang to action.
WSB-TV reports that Noah awoke to flames beside his bed from an electrical fire. The little boy urgently woke his baby sister, 2-year-old Lily, and carried her to a window, their only escape. He called the family dog, and the trio slipped out the window to the backyard. Although his little sister was now safe, Noah knew that his five other family members would be lost to the fire if he didn’t go back inside.
With Lily rescued, Noah assessed the situation for the best course of action. With only minutes to act, the child first ran upstairs to alert his uncle so that he could help him wake the rest of the family. One by one, everyone made it out of the house safely and waited until emergency first responders arrived.
Thanks to the witty and brave boy, all the residents avoided harm. The only injuries reported were minor burns on five of the family members, one of which was on Noah, who sustained a small burn to his wrist. Of course, Noah doesn’t consider himself a hero. In fact, as he explains it, he did only what any good little boy would do for his loved ones.
“I don’t know where the flames came from,” Noah said. “I picked Lily up, got to the window with Lily, got the dog, and got out. That’s it.”
Despite Noah’s modest summary of the events, his grandfather knows that the little boy’s simple response undoubtedly saved their lives and prevented further damage to their home.
“If it wasn’t for Noah, I mean, we were all asleep, so we wouldn’t have known what was going on,” David Wood, Noah’s grandfather, said. “We could’ve all lost our lives.”
Even though the family is grateful to be alive, they were left with another major concern. David Woods explained that they didn’t have insurance to compensate for their loss. After hearing Noah’s story, however, strangers rallied together to help. A Go Fund Me account has since raised over $35,000 for home repairs.
Noah’s family has credited him with saving their lives. The story could have been very different if the little boy had been too afraid to help.
“Nobody got hurt,” David Woods said. “We got smoked up a little bit, but we’re all still alive.”
Bartow County Fire Department Chief Dwayne Jamison has recognized Noah as an Honorary Bartow County Firefighter. He was also presented with a Lifesaving Award for saving seven people.
Noah Woods is a hero, but he hasn’t let the fame go to his head. He just wants to see his family safe and happy, especially his little sister. Of course, he deserves all the accolades and to have his story shared far and wide.