“The angel sent him to wake me up,” Lula Craven said of her nephew, Jayden
NEED TO KNOW
- A 5-year-old boy named Jayden alerted his family to a fire in their Longview, Texas, home
- Neighbor Jana Herrera, an EMT and volunteer firefighter, was driving by when she saw the flames and was able to help evacuate the family
- Jayden was praised as a hero for his bravery by his family, Herrera and the Longview Fire Department
A family was saved from a burning house after a 5‑year‑old boy noticed something was awry.
Jayden was sleeping in the living room when he woke up to the sound of popping on Friday, April 3, around 6:20 a.m. in his family’s Longview, Texas home. The young child was the only person awake among the six occupants of the home, according to a Longview Fire Department (LFD) news release.
After waking up, he noticed flames at the front door and went to warn his aunt, Lula Craven, of the impending tragedy. “I went in her room and said, 'Fire,' ” he recalled to KYTX.
The young boy was still wrapped in “his little blanket” when he told her, Craven recalled. “I said, ‘Oh my God,’ and by that time the smoke alarm went off.”
As the family was evacuating the home, neighbor Jana Herrera, an EMT and volunteer firefighter, told ABC 7 she saw the fire on her way to work.
Credit: Longview TX Fire Dept
Once she saw the flames inside the house, Herrera “immediately” called 911, she explained. Herrera then came across a young boy and woman evacuating, who then said there were more people inside, and some were “bed-bound.”
Herrera helped bring everyone to safety. By the time she removed the last person from the blaze, firefighters had arrived on the scene.
"Without that kid, I think things would have gone a little differently," Herrera told ABC7. She also called Jayden a "very heroic little boy," noting that he is one of her daughter's classmates.
Jayden “wasn’t scared” during the incident, he told KYTX, adding that he’s a “superhero too.”
“The angel sent him to wake me up,” Craven said. “Because I don’t know — we were just lucky we all got out.”
“We call him our angel and our hero,” she added, per KYTX.
Credit: Longview TX Fire Dept
With Jayden's fearless help, everyone escaped without serious injury. Only one person needed to be evaluated for possible smoke inhalation, but declined further treatment, per the LFD.
The LFD also commended Jayden’s “awareness and quick response," adding that he was “instrumental in preventing potential injuries or loss of life.”
The fire was caused by an "electrical incident" involving a front porch outlet, according to LFD, and resulted in $75,000 in damages.
“Regularly inspect outdoor electrical outlets and ensure they are properly maintained and protected from the elements. If you notice damage or unusual sounds (such as popping), have it evaluated immediately," the LFD advised in its statement.
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PEOPLE reached out to the Longview Fire Department for comment.