A teen from Wisconsin has become a hero after saving his four younger sisters from a house fire. After attempting to put the fire out on his own, the boy had to be rescued by the family’s dog.
On September 6th, Kelly Omar and her husband went out to grab a quick dinner for their family. After being gone for just 10 minutes, their five kids, ranging in age from 6 months to 13 years, smelled smoke on the first floor of the house.
“My sister said it was really smoky and we looked behind us, and the playpen was on fire,” said thirteen year old Briar Omar.
As the oldest of the children, Briar acted quickly.
“My sisters, that was the first thing I thought of, and I just knew I needed to get them out of the house,” the teen said.
In the past, the family had discussed what to do in an emergency. Using that knowledge, Briar was able to get his sisters to safety. Then, he got to work trying to save the house too, using a fire extinguisher.
“It went up in bigger flames, and I just couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see. I almost collapsed, and then, that’s when I felt my dog rub against me. I grabbed her, and she led me out the door,” the thirteen year old said.
The family dog, Mandy, was able to get Briar out of the burning house just moments before the children’s parents pulled up outside.
“Until you physically saw every single child, it was just terrifying,” Kelly Omar said.
Both Kelly and her husband credit Briar with saving the family. Despite feeling devastated over the loss of their house and most of their belongings, they are grateful for what they still have.
“We’re just so thankful that every single one of them made it out, so if it wasn’t for my son, I don’t know where I’d be,” Kelly Omar said.
The cause of the house fire is still under investigation.
A GoFundMe campaign was created by friends to help the family recover. So far, the campaign has raised more than $4,000.