6-year-old boy saves his grandmother from a house fire in Danville

DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — A 6-year-old boy from Danville is being celebrated as a hero for alerting his grandmother about a house fire, which allowed them to escape safely.

On Sunday, November 24, at 1:03 p.m., the Danville Fire Department was alerted to a possible house fire in the 1600 block of North Franklin Street.

When the firefighters arrived, they discovered a faint haze of smoke lingering throughout the house.

While investigating the source of the smoke, firefighters located a pile of burning blankets that had been set too close to a hot water heater in the basement of the home. Fortunately, they were able to extinguish the fire with minimal damage to the house.

After the fire was extinguished and the smoke cleared from the home, firefighters learned from family members that it was 6-year-old Mason McGuire, a resident of the house, who alerted his grandmother, Priscilla Bradberry. He instructed her to leave the house and call 9-1-1. Mason guided his grandmother to a vehicle outside the home.

Firefighters stated that Mason’s actions prevented any delay in calling for help, and that his quick response most likely resulted in significantly less damage to the home due to the fire.

Mason's mother, Gina McGuire, told Fire Chief Aaron Marcott that Mason had just attended fire prevention activities at the Danville Fire Department through Northeast School.

McGuire stated she felt it was this recent education that helped Mason act the way he did.

The Fire Department will formally recognize Mason for his actions at a later date.