CBS2 Exclusive: Girl, 4, Hailed As Hero For Alerting Family In East Harlem Fire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 4-year-old East Harlem girl has proved that you are never too young to be a hero.
As CBS2's John Dias reported exclusively Monday, the girl's family is calling her actions a Christmas miracle.
Izabella Nugent was terrified, but brave. Her family said thanks to her quick thinking, she saved their lives during a fire.
She woke them up screaming.
"Get out of the living room, because there was fire in there," Izabella said.
Fire officials said a space heater caused their East 112th Street apartment to go up in flames last Friday morning, when the extended family of seven was sound asleep – except for Izabella, who woke up to smoke.
"Without her, honestly, I think we would have lost everybody," said Izabella's mother, Carmen Nugent.
Left behind now is debris – a burnt-down Christmas tree and other holiday decorations. But inside a Queens hotel room miles away, the extended family is trying to stay positive.
"I'm still devastated and still in shock," said Izabella's aunt, Jennifer Nugent.
The family said the FDNY helped most escape unharmed – except for Jennifer Nugent's boyfriend, who was still recovering in the hospital Monday. He ran around the apartment breaking windows to get in fresh air.
"We're getting by as best as we can, you know, but we're trying to put it past us," Jennifer Nugent said.
Meanwhile, the Nugent family received some good news Monday. The city was able to find them temporary housing so they won't have to celebrate the holidays at the hotel.
But after Christmas, the family still was not sure if they ever wanted to go back to their home that was on fire.
"They said that they are going to fix the apartment," Jennifer Nugent said. "But would we want to go back to an apartment that we actually almost all lost our lives?"
