VANCOUVER, Wash. — A fire in the back of a little yellow house on Norris Road in Vancouver, Wash. Wednesday morning was stopped before it spread to the rest of the house — thanks in part to two sisters who ran across the street for help from just the right neighbors.
Their house is almost directly across the street from Vancouver Fire Department Station 2. At around 6 a.m., a push of the doorbell woke the firefighters.
Mia and Emily, ages 10 and 7, were waiting at the front door of the fire station.
“The crews went to the front door and answered the door and there were two children there, and they said, ‘Our house is on fire across the street,'” explained Vancouver firefighter and paramedic Joe Hudson.
Mia and Emily explained the dangerous situation, and firefighters geared up and drove Engine 2 across the street.
"I think it broke a record for the fastest response time, they were here in under ten seconds,” said Hudson.
Their mom, Reyna Roberto, showed KGW crews the damage to the back laundry room. Fire burned the wall to the ceiling. Thankfully, a working smoke detector woke Roberto up early Wednesday morning. She and a friend got a garden hose while the kids went for help.
“My kids say, 'Mom, I want to go to the fire station!' I say yes, go, please," Roberto said.
“It takes a lot of composure to go across the street and in an emergent situation that can be really stressful, so we really commend them for the calm demeanor and quick thinking to help us figure out where we're going and what's going on,” said Hudson.
Hudson said in most cases, the best way to get help rolling is to call 911. But in this case, distance mattered.
“It was definitely appropriate for the kids, quick thinking, came across the street and alerted the firefighters there.”
That makes a mom feel good.
“I'm so proud for my kids. I'm happy because my little family is OK," said Roberto.