'It was my responsibility': Manitoba girl saves siblings from destructive house fire
A 12-year-old Manitoba girl is being hailed a hero after saving her two younger brothers from a house fire.
On March 2, Emily Neufeld was home after school with her two brothers – Jamie, 8, and Levi, 4 – when she smelled something strange as she was walking downstairs in the La Broquerie home.
Without warning from a smoke alarm, Emily saw the bathroom had gone up in flames. From there, without panicking, she ran upstairs and got her brothers.
“I just knew it was my responsibility to get my siblings and everything, my sibling and my pets out,” she said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Tuesday.
Armed with the knowledge that she learned about fire safety in a babysitting course, Emily was able to save her brothers from the fire that severely damaged the family’s home.
“It feels really good and I’m very happy that I saved them,” she said.
The home sustained severe damage in the fire. (Source: Andreas Neufeld)
When Natalie Neufeld, the kids’ mother, learned of the fire it felt like a “nightmare,” but she thankfully learned quickly that her kids were safe.
She said she’s very thankful for her daughter and her quick thinking.
“I mean, they’re here because of her, same with our pets,” she said.
“I’m very, very grateful for her and what she learned at the babysitter’s course.”
Emily encourages other kids to take the babysitting course, as that is where she learned how to safely escape from a home that is on fire.
She said she knows she is a hero, and has been hearing it from many people in the community.
- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.