5-year-old boy saves 13 people from house fire, residents say

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Sunday, August 18, 2019
5-year-old saved 13 from Back of the Yards house fire, residents say
Residents said a 5-year-old awoke to smoke and flames and alerted others of the fire at a Back of the Yards home Saturday.

CHICAGO, Illinois -- A 5-year-old is being called a hero for helping save 13 people from a house fire on Chicago's South Side.

Residents said the boy woke up to smoke and flames just before 4 a.m. Saturday and alerted others to the danger.

"He came, he said, 'You've got to get out, the house is on fire.' He saved everybody," said Sanavia Connely, a resident who was asleep on the building's second floor at the time. "Without him, I don't think we would have made it."

Seven adults and six children were inside the the home when the fire broke out. No injuries were reported.

Investigators haven't made a final determination of the cause of the fire, but they believe it may have started by a lit cigarette left behind.

The American Red Cross said they're working with the displaced residents to provide temporary housing.

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