A Georgia boy has been made an honorary firefighter after helping save his family from a house fire.
Noah Woods, 5, recently rescued his little sister and the family dog from a blaze that tore through their home, the Bartow County Fire Department shared on a Facebook post on Tuesday.
The young boy was asleep in the bedroom he shared with his 2-year-old sister when he awoke to smoke and flames, according to fire officials.
Noah quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed his sister, leaving the house through the only exit available to him — an open window, authorities said.
Once his sister was outside, Noah heroically returned to his room to pull his dog to safety, CNN reported.
The child then ran next door to get help from his uncle, the outlet reported. Together, they helped alert the rest of Woods’ family and rescued them from the fire.
According to the Bartow County Fire Department, Noah and four other members of his family were treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation. In all, he is credited for saving the other seven members in his family.
Noah will be recognized for his bravery on Friday, when he will be made an honorary Bartow County firefighter and presented with a lifesaving award, officials said.
“We’ve seen children alert their families before,” Bartow County Fire Department Chief Dwayne Jamison told CNN. “But for a 5-year-old to be alert enough to do this … that’s pretty extraordinary.”
Noah’s grandfather David Woods wrote on a GoFundMe page that the fire was started by electrical equipment in the children’s bedroom.
The family is now hoping to raise funds to cover the loss of their property.
“We praise God that we all are safe. Unfortunately, our home was a total loss. Due to a recent lapse in our home insurance, this has made a difficult situation a little worse,” the grandfather wrote on a GoFundMe campaign. “We are planning to rebuild and will likely need to stay in a motel for some time and likely rent a small house while we work to earn funding and build.”
“Noah’s brave actions saved the lives of the family that day, so we want to recognize him today,” Jamison said. Noah actually has a family connection to the Bartow County Fire Department – his dad’s cousin is a firefighter there.
“This kid right here is so warm-hearted,” his cousin said at the press conference. “I’m honored, I’m privileged just to be part of this family and recognize Noah today.”
“I’ve heard heroes come in all shapes in sizes. He showed me this week, age is a part of it too. Knowing a 5-year-old can go out and save his whole family is an eye-opener to me,” he said.
At the press conference, the fire department took time to not only honor Noah, but also to highlight their fire education programs in local schools, which can give people the knowledge they need to handle fire situations the way Noah did.
After the firefighters spoke, Noah was presented with his very own badge and helmet, making him an official part of the family.
“When we train these firefighters, we oftentimes work our whole career without doing a truly life-saving intervention like Noah did,” the chief said. “What Noah had done is what we strive our whole career to possibly have the opportunity to [do], make an intervention to save a life during a house fire.”
So far, Noah’s family has raised $6,965 out of their $75,000 goal.