18-year-old neighbour rescues children from burning house in Mississauga, Ont.
An 18-year-old man is being commended by officials for helping several children escape a burning home in Mississauga Saturday morning.
At around 10:45 a.m., fire crews responded to a two-alarm blaze at a semi-detached house on Starfield Crescent in the area of Winston Churchill Boulevard and Britannia Road.
Adam Attalla told CP24 he first noticed a burning smell before his mom notified him that the neighbour's house was on fire. He recalled seeing two girls on the roof and another girl still trapped inside.
"There was a lot of smoke. So, the two girls came down, and the little girl was still stuck. I told people. Nobody did anything. So, I tried climbing up the wall first. It did not go out well.
"So, a neighbour led me into her house, and I jumped from her roof to the second roof, and I opened the window and got the little girl out," Attalla said.
When asked what pushed him to act, the 18-year-old said he could not just stand on the side and watch the girl die.
"It had to be done. Somebody had to do it," Attalla said. "I just had to go up there. At least try it."
Attalla said he is not a hero and believes that others would have stepped up and done the same thing.
"I did what I had to do," he said. "It was the right thing to do."
District Fire Chief Craig Dockery said the house was fully involved, prompting them to go into a defensive attack.
He said crews faced high heat conditions that melted the visors on firefighters' helmets.
Five children were inside the home at the time of the blaze, and a neighbour helped the kids escape before crews arrived, said Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services Chief Deryn Rizzi.
She said a 15-year-old and an infant were on the main floor and were able to evacuate. The other three children became trapped on the second floor.
Rizzi said two managed to get out onto the roof while a seven-year-old got stuck inside a bedroom.
"An 18-year-old came down the road, went into the neighbour's house. They opened the window on the second floor. The 18-year-old then walked along the roof and helped that seven-year-old get out.
"And then all three of the children walked along the roof and into the neighbour's home. It is absolutely incredible."
Fire crews responded to a blaze at a semi-detached house on Starfield Crescent in the area of Winston Churchill Boulevard and Britannia Road. (Twitter)
Rizzi said she plans to give Attalla a citation award for his bravery.
"This 18-year-old doesn't have the training but demonstrated the same care and compassion our people do every single day. So, we just want to say what a wonderful job and great things for this person in the future, I'm sure," she said.
According to Peel paramedics, the children's injuries are non-life-threatening.
An officer was taken to hospital for minor injuries, likely for smoke inhalation, Peel police said.
A cat was also inside the home and is now safe and in the care of animal control.
The fire has since been knocked down and did not spread to the neighbouring semi-detached house.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Starfield Road at Windwood Drive is closed for the investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.