Denver Elementary School student, Phoenix, recently helped save his family from a house fire. From left to right: Phoenix, his mother Marie, and his little sister Stormy.
Richard Foltz | News Journal photo
WILMINGTON, Ohio — Marie Miles can’t help but express her pride for her son, Phoenix, a 9-year-old student at Denver Elementary School.
“He saved us, and he’s only 9-years-old,” she said, recalling the terrifying Oct. 2 night the family’s home caught fire. “He wants other kids to know we followed the safety plan.”
The night began like any other. Marie had fallen asleep, exhausted from battling double pneumonia, while waiting for Phoenix to return to their Creedon Avenue home from church. Normally, she wouldn’t have gone to bed, but Phoenix arrived later than usual, around 9 p.m. Instead of immediately going to bed, he walked into the house and noticed something off—smoke filling the first floor. Most of the family, upstairs asleep, hadn’t heard the alarms.
“If he wouldn’t have been late, he would’ve gone to bed, and we would’ve perished from smoke inhalation,” said Marie. Phoenix’s quick thinking saved his family as he woke them up, allowing them to evacuate the house.
The fire, which started in a clothes dryer near the rear entrance of their home, was already spreading smoke throughout the first floor and seeping upstairs. According to the Wilmington Fire Department, the fire began after 9 p.m. on Oct. 2, and Phoenix’s late arrival and alertness proved crucial.
Although the family regularly cleaned the dryer lint trap, a small fire still ignited. Despite alarms going off, no one had woken up, and one of the daughters had mistaken the sound for a battery issue.
Firefighters arrived to find smoke damage to the first floor, though the fire hadn’t spread beyond the dryer. They extinguished it quickly and ventilated the house. Still, the damage had been done, not just from fire but from the water and smoke, leaving much of the family’s belongings ruined.
As the family gathered at their designated safety spot outside, Phoenix kept his youngest sister, Stormy, calm, preventing her from running back into the house.
“He was so brave, so calm,” Marie said. His actions were all the more impressive considering the chaos.
One of his sisters had tried to use a hose to put out the fire, inhaling smoke in the process and needing oxygen when the firefighters arrived.
The fire destroyed personal items and beloved possessions, and in the aftermath of the blaze, the community has rallied around the family.
“Sugartree Ministries gave us a $200 gift card because Phoenix lost all his socks, underwear, summer shirts, and jacket,” Marie said.
His school was quick to provide clothing as well, and local organizations like Help Me Grow helped with Goodwill gift cards to replace other essentials.
Amidst all this, Phoenix’s calm demeanor and quick action stand as a powerful reminder of the importance of fire safety. Thanks to Phoenix and the actions of his family members’ courage and preparedness, his family is safe today, a true testament to the power of fire safety and quick thinking in the face of danger.
