Teen Helps Family Escape From Burning Home
STOUGHTON (CBS) - A family of five says they're shaken up - but they feel lucky to be alive.
"It's definitely a miracle that everyone was able to get out safely," said relative Angie Thevenin.
The family managed to escape a fire inside of their Stoughton home. When firefighters arrived at just before 3:00 a.m. Friday morning, they noticed heavy fire and smoke coming out of the second floor.
One neighbor woke up to lights and sirens.
"Everybody was just kind of chaotically running around," said neighbor Billy Reid. "Fire trucks were everywhere."
The family managed to get out safely after the teenage son woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke. A relative says she's grateful the boy woke up and alerted everyone to get out of the house.
"Feeling like by the grace of God, he spared their lives," said Thevenin. "If it wasn't for the fact that he got awakened just because he felt hot and was able to go downstairs and save them."
The home didn't have any working smoke detectors, according to the fire chief. The family is devastated, and says the second floor is a complete loss.
"It's still actually really bad inside," Thevenin said. "It almost looks like the whole house itself, the second floor, is completely burned down."
Despite losing most of their belongings, the family feels grateful to be alive. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.