14-Year-Old's Quick Actions Save Lives In Yuba City Fire
YUBA CITY (CBS13) - A Yuba City duplex was engulfed in flames but a brave young lady next door jumped to the rescue her elderly neighbor.
The 14-year-old was next door when she heard a pounding on the door.
This middle schooler is still trying to mastering English and algebra, but Jill Ayala has already majored in bravery.
Jill was baby-sitting five of her cousin's kids in a small duplex on Church Street. All of a sudden a fire broke out in the adjoining duplex's back bedroom, where an 83-year-old woman lives.
Chuck Wirtz lives across the street. Seeing the smoke and flames, he thought the elderly woman was trapped. He tried kicking in the front door but it didn't budge. He thought the woman was a goner and had no idea Jill and the kids were in there too.
"It was a little too hard for me to get in," Wirtz said. "I couldn't get in the side window because it was already burning."
The fire started overwhelming the elderly woman's bedroom when she ran next door to Jill asking for help.
"She opens the backdoor and says 'my room's on fire,'" Jill said. "I see smoke all over her house. I see her bedroom was on fire, her bed was."
Jill's first thought was save the children, the youngest being 2 years old. She ran to get the kids out but her front door was locked. She didn't panic.
"I stopped to think and I finally unlocked it," Jill said.
She got the kids out and ran back for her neighbor, but her neighbor refused to leave.
"She was calling her dog because she didn't know her dog was outside," Jill said.
As the flames slowly overtook the home, Jill finally convinced her to get out.
"Yeah, she was going to stay, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her and she finally came out," Jill said.
Everyone survived but the two homes were completely destroyed.
Jill said she didn't know if her actions were heroic but her school does.
"Those kind of things don't happen that often and to have one of our students do that and act so bravely, it's really nice to see," Yuba Gardens Vice Principal Gary Rodgers said.
Jill was taken to the hospital from a little smoke inhalation but otherwise was fine.
