A 7-year-old Georgia boy is being celebrated by his community for saving his family’s life after a fire broke out in their home.
Keegan Sinclair woke his parents on the morning of Nov. 18 when he noticed the house filling with smoke, according to a Facebook post shared by the White Count Public Safety page on Thanksgiving Day.
The Sinclair family – including Keegan’s parents Kevin and Savannah and his younger brother Maddox – were able to evacuate the compound where they noticed the fire was coming from the outside of their home. According to the Post, the fire was caused by an apparent electrical problem.
“During this time of year we think about things for which we are grateful,” David Murphy, director of the White County Office of Public Safety, said in the Post. “This Thanksgiving season, we are grateful for this young man (Keegan Sinclair) and his quick actions that ultimately saved his family and home.”
According to a February 2022 report by the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments responded to an estimated average of 46,700 home fires that involved blackouts or malfunctions each year between 2015 and 2019.
Newlyweds Doran Smith and David Squillante were in Barcelona when they saw several women run out of a building and flames erupted from the door. The couple, along with other bystanders, helped move children from the smoky kindergarten to the lobby of a high school across the street until firefighters arrived.
On Wednesday, November 23, Keegan’s heroism was celebrated by members of the White County Fire Department, media, members of the community and the rest of the Sinclair family during a ceremony at the White County Fire Station.
During the ceremony, Keegan received a certificate of appreciation from the White County Fire Department as well as a gift basket donated by a local Chick-fil-A in Cleveland, Georgia. To wrap up the ceremony, local firefighters took Keegan on a tour of the fire and rescue truck.
“All of these firefighters and first responders came together tonight to recognize the true hero of this response,” White County Fire Department Chief Michael LeFevre said in the Facebook post. “Without Keegan and his quick thinking, this call could have ended in tragedy.”