Duluth Teen Lizzy Grayhawk Saves Family From House Fire
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 15-year-old Duluth girl is being credited with saving her family during a house fire Tuesday morning.
According to the Duluth Fire Department, crews were dispatched at 12:49 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, crews from the University of Minnesota-Duluth station reported a large fire from a second-story window in a single-family home located on the 1100 block of East 10th Street.
The crew extinguished and searched the floors and basement of the building for any occupants including two cats. While the cats were not located, the family of four adults and four children all escaped alive.
Lizzy Grayhawk rushed to tell her parents after she saw the fire in her bedroom.
"I woke up because like it was getting really hot on the side of me, and my whole tapestry was on fire," Grayhawk said.
Assistant Chief Dennis Edwards says the fire department plans to honor Grayhawk with an award later this summer.
"Thanks to the quick thinking of a 15-year-old who alerted her family to the fire, they were all able to get out of the home safely," Assistant Chief Dennis Edwards said. "If she hadn't woken up, and notified her parents, this could have been a different situation. She was very brave."
According to officials, one adult suffered burns to his hand while trying to extinguish the fire before exiting. He was transported by Mayo Ambulance to a local hospital and was later released.
The fire department estimates at least $75,000 worth of damage to the structure and $50,000 to the contents. The fire is believed to be accidental and shows signs of electrical malfunction. The fire is being investigated by the Duluth Fire Marshal's office.
The Red Cross is said to be assisting the family in their displacement and a Gofundme was created to help financially support them.
