Age 6 Girl Wakes to Burning Sensation in Eyes and Throat, Rushes To Save Her Family from Blazing Fire
We all know the safety precautions that we should take to avoid house fires. We install smoke detectors, have a fire extinguisher somewhere in the house and freak out about whether or not we left the stove on.
Open flames, unattended cooking and bad wiring are all notorious culprits, but despite our awareness things can — and do — still go wrong. Even when you’re a firefighter.
Former Fire Chief Jimmy Karlbon of Woodbridge, New Jersey, had gone to sleep Saturday night, along with his 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, with no idea what the next few hours would bring.
His wife got home later that night and fell asleep downstairs. A little after 2 in the morning, 6-year-old Madalyn “Madi” woke up and knew something wasn’t right.
The next thing she did made her a hero, and the Avenel Fire Department made sure the world knew about her actions.
“This little girl right here, Madalyn Karlbon, the daughter of FF Karlbon, who is just 6 years old woke up to the sound of the activated smoke detector, saw the smoke and immediately ran to awake her dad and alert him of the fire,” the department posted on Sunday.
“Without any hesitation she jumped into action and ultimately saved the lives of her family by remembering all she was taught during fire prevention week and through the vast knowledge that her dad and fellow firefighter family has instilled in her.”
“Madalyn, it goes without saying how bright and smart of a girl you are. This morning proved that!! You recognized danger immediately and were able to assist in getting everyone out of the house before the fire got worse.”
“To say all of us here at the Avenel Fire Department are so proud of you is an understatement,” the post concluded. “Way to go Madalyn. You’re indeed a hero!!!”
The fire department also took the opportunity to point out how important fire safety and preparedness is for all members of the family.
“SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES,” the department wrote. “& KEEPING YOUR KIDS INFORMED ABOUT FIRE SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND NOT JUST DURING FIRE PREVENTION WEEK!!!!!”
While the family is all doing well, sadly the house took a beating and has been deemed uninhabitable, and the family lost most of their possessions.
According to what Fire Official Cory Spillar told USA Today, the fire seems to have started in the kitchen, and may have been the result of “a cooking process” at the stove. It’s been classified as accidental, and most of the damage does seem to be in the kitchen itself.
The family is staying at a hotel while their home is fixed up, and the fire department has been accepting donations to help the family replace what was lost.
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