A five-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after waking to flames beside his bed on Sunday morning and ensuring that his entire family of nine escaped unharmed.
“I picked Lily up, got to the window with Lily, got the dog and got out,” Noah Woods, 5, told WSBTV. “That’s it.”
But the courage behind his calm words tells a far larger story.
Early Sunday morning, an electrical fire erupted in the room Noah shared with his two-year-old sister, Lily. Recognizing the imminent danger, he sprang into action, scooping up Lily and the family dog before making his way to the window—the only available escape route.
According to a GoFundMe established to assist the family with expenses, Noah didn’t stop there. Once he and Lily were safe outside, he returned to alert his uncle, helping to ensure that the rest of the family could evacuate safely.
“Our hero!” the Bartow County Fire Department declared in a post on Tuesday. “5-year-old Noah Woods recently woke up to find his bedroom on fire. The only available exit was a window. He got himself and his 2-year-old sister out of the window to escape the fire and re-entered the house to alert the rest of the family.”
Thanks to Noah’s quick thinking, all nine members of the household escaped the blaze. The only injuries reported were minor: a small burn on Noah’s wrist and four family members treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation.
In recognition of his extraordinary bravery, BCFD Chief Dwayne Jamison announced that Noah will be honored as an Honorary Bartow County Firefighter and presented with a Lifesaving Award on Friday.
Noah’s remarkable presence of mind and selfless actions have captured the admiration of his community, and in his young life, he has already shown courage that most adults could only aspire to.
“If it wasn’t for Noah, I mean, we were all asleep, so we wouldn’t have known what was going on,” said David Woods, Noah’s grandfather. “We could’ve all lost our lives.”
The family now faces the difficult task of rebuilding, as their home was destroyed in the fire. Yet, amid the devastation, they take comfort in the fact that every family member survived, thanks to Noah’s quick thinking.
“If it wasn’t for Noah, we may not be here today,” David added.
Noah, just five years old, has already earned the admiration of his family and community for his bravery and instincts. His story is a reminder of the extraordinary courage that can emerge in the smallest of heroes.
