CLINTON, Md. (WUSA9) -- Two children were rescued from a house fire in Clinton, Md. Sunday morning, according to Prince George's County Fire.
The children are recovering at Children's National Medical Center after a harrowing rescue from their burning home. Thanks to the a 13-year-old's nerves and a veteran firefighter's courage everyone at home at the time of the fire made it out alive.
The fire happened around 7:40 a.m. at a two-story house on the the 9600 block of Small Drive. Fire officials say two adults were able to get themselves out of the home. Firefighters rescued the two children when they arrived, fire officials said.
Lieutenant Kenny Ward's fellow firefighters praised his courage Sunday and Marcus, the 13-year-old -- with one chief even jokingly suggesting he join the department someday, since his calm and quick thinking made his own rescue possible.
The children and adults sustained minor injuries, fire officials said. The children are both in stable condition.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, but say a smoke detector downstairs had no batteries in it-- an easy fix that could have prevented the fire from getting so dangerous.
There is no estimate of the amount of damage at this time, authorities added.