Fire-safety program worked, boy saved sister, contained house fire

By Caroline Wilson
The Evening Times 

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GLASGOW, Scotland — A teenage boy has been hailed a hero after he saved his sister from a house blaze.

Timothy Jackson, 13, remained calm and sprung into action when a kitchen appliance caught fire in their home.

He remembered advice he had been given by firefighters at his Scout group just two weeks earlier.

The youngster, then 11, led his eight-year-old sister Olivia out of their home in Govan, shut all the doors behind him to contain the thick flames and called 999.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said his level-headedness gave the family vital time to escape during the fire.

His actions also protected much of their home from smoke and flames.

Timothy said: My first thought was just that we needed to get out the house and call the fire brigade.

"I knew not to panic and to shut the doors behind us because that s what the firefighters told my Scout group.

"I'm not sure I'd have done that if it wasn't for the fire action plan we learned."

Dad Gordon said: "Timothy s mum, sister and I are very proud of him and we are very grateful to the firefighters who responded that night and saved our home."

Chief Officer Brian Sweeney issued a certificate of congratulations to Timothy yesterday for his brave actions.

The youngster collected the award from the same Govan Community Fire Station crew that responded to his emergency call in November 2011.

Station commander John McKenna said: "People often panic when a fire occurs. Timothy didn't."

He got himself and his family to safety and protected their home by following the fire action plan his Scout group had learned.

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