‘He's my hero': 4th-grader saves baby from house fire in College Area

A 10-year-old elementary school student is being hailed a hero for helping save the lives of two of his family members after a fire broke out in their College Area home.

The fire happened around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

“It’s awesome. He’s my hero,“ his mother, Elizabeth Baldwin, said.

At the time, both parents were working.

“I was pleasantly acknowledging, that’s the way he is,” said father Kirk Baldwin.

Their 13-year-old daughter Viola, their 6-month-old granddaughter Jade and Bronx were in their Reservoir Drive Towne home. Bronx was napping in the room that caught fire.   

“My eyes were blurry at that moment because I had just woken up. I saw flames. I saw flames. I screamed 'fire' to my sister, my 13-year-old sister,” Bronx said.

Bronx wasted no time. He scooped up baby Jade and made the wise choice to gather the group and flee the flames.

I was thinking just stay calm and don’t panic. It just makes the situation worse,

Bronx said

“I was thinking just stay calm and don’t panic. It just makes the situation worse,“ Bronx said.

Family members say the fire started underneath the window of their oldest daughter Lillian’s bedroom. There was a desk there, and on top of it was a curling iron and plugged-in mirror. However, investigators have not determined the cause of the fire. Most of the fire was contained to the bedroom, but by the time it was out, the whole townhome was filled with smoke and water.

“It’s like you hear about it, right? And you feel bad for the people affected, but you don’t realize the gravity until it happens to you,“ Elizabeth said.

Despite all the back-patting, Bronx manages to keep it in perspective.

“What happened to my family is not pretty good. Our house smells like smoke. I got famous for that reason. It’s not really that good,” Bronx said.

There are ruined belongings piled on the porch. The townhome is uninhabitable. It is a nightmare that isn’t over yet.

Still, among the unforgettable is the actions of their son

“To have the sensibility to take charge and to know what to do, to get himself and the two girls to safety, I’m just so proud,“ Elizabeth said.

Bronx says he has learned a lot about fire prevention and safety from the school programs in which he has participated.