Lancaster firefighters rescued a mother and her two children from their burning home this morning.
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Alexis King, her son Julian, 6, and daughter Machaela, 4, were inside their home on South Plum Street when a fire broke out in the kitchen. The smoke was so thick, they were all trapped in an upstairs bedroom.
"I was scared, real scared. I've never been that scared. I thought there was never going to be a fire in our house," said
.
Firefighters used a ladder to rescue Julian, his sister and his mother. Julian said when he saw the firefighters, he was "happy." Alexis is thanking God and the firefighters who saved them.
"We knew exactly what to do. We stopped everything, grabbed a ladder and got them out. This is my first save in 15 years. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's a good feeling," said Lt. Rusty Wright of the Lancaster Bureau of Fire.
"The one kid said, 'Thank you Mr. firefighter," said Leander Toney of the Lancaster Bureau of Fire.
Firefighters were even able to save the kids' dog.
Alexis King and her son Julian, 6, and daughter Machaela, 4, were treated for smoke inhalation, but were out of the hospital within two hours.
Firefighters said the family was very fortunate. The house was just minutes away from becoming fully engulfed in flames. None of the smoke detectors inside were working.
The family is now getting help from the Red Cross.
Fire investigators think the fire might have been started on the stove by the 4-year-old. Exactly how that might have happened is not yet clear.
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