11-year-old Manitoba boy saves family after alerting them to house fire
An 11-year-old boy on the autism spectrum is being credited with saving his family from a house fire.
Grayson Hunt, 11, likes to get an early start to the day. On Wednesday, however, his morning routine was drastically different.
When Grayson went to use the washroom, he found his Autumnwood Drive apartment filled with smoke.
"I was going to use the bathroom, but I smelled something strange. So I opened the door, and there was a bunch of smoke so I had to close my door and I was scared, and I was like, 'Mom, there's a fire,'" said Grayson.
Grayson's father, Bryan Hunt, said visibility was only about a foot with the amount of smoke in the house.
The family was able to evacuate the household of four, with the only injury being a burn on Grayson's hand.
With the fire being so intense, the family didn't have time to grab shoes, let alone any possessions.
"I had all that memorabilia, war medals, pictures, awards, certificates, everything," said Bryan.
Bryan said there wasn't an audible alarm in the suite despite the smoke detectors being serviced the day before.
"The fire people came in the day before to replace the smoke detectors and he was in and out in a hurry from what I heard," he said.
According to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS), firefighters arrived at 6:22 a.m. when the building's silent alarm was triggered.
The WFPS said the investigation is ongoing, and no damage estimates are available.
Bryan said the family can't return to Manitoba Housing until the cause of the fire is found.
Without a place to live, the family has been staying in a hotel with the support of the Red Cross and Jordan's Principle.
Though a stressful and uncertain situation, the family is counting their blessings.
"I just wanted to also say how proud we are of our son for alerting us and knowing how important it was to wake us up and get us out of the house. He really is the little hero in this story," Bryan said.
"That makes me feel so much joy, proud," added Grayson.
Item donations are being accepted for the Hunt family at the Canad Inns at 720 William Ave..
The family said it is currently searching for help creating a fundraising page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.