10-Year-Old Girl Called Hero Following Pa. Fire

April 25--Firefighters who battled a fire in Homewood this morning are calling a girl a hero for using what she learned in school to help get everyone safely out of the three-story house.

Tanaih Ramsey, 10, said she awoke to the smell of smoke just after 6 a.m. and woke her mother, brother and baby sister so they could get out of their second-floor apartment in the house in the 500 block of Oakwood Street.

A person who lived on the third floor also got out safely, Pittsburgh Deputy fire Chief Frank Large said.

"I just knew something was on fire and I had to alert everyone," Ramsey said. "They told us (at the demonstration at Kelly Elementary School) how to get out and tell everyone."

Her mother, Tavia Ramsey, offered praise. "They showed her something, because she did a good job," she said.

The fire gutted the building. "It's the worst day they've had in a long time," Large said of the residents. "But, it's a good outcome."

The fire was initially heavy as the first crews arrived, Large said. Windows were breaking out and there was heavy fire showing from the second floor, Large said.

One firefighter suffered a burned hand, Large said. He was treated on the scene but did not go to the hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Copyright 2012 - The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review