Naperville Honors Woman Who Saved Sister, Friends From House Fire

NAPERVILLE, IL — A 20-year-old woman who saved her sister, her dog and her friends from a massive fire in Naperville received a special honor from the Naperville City Council Tuesday. Christine Sentman, 20, had come home on Jan. 4 to find her family's Christmas tree had caught on fire and engulfed the house in flames. "This was probably one of the biggest house fires that we've seen in a long time," Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said, calling Sentman a "true hero."

Sentman had gotten home with armfuls of groceries around 4:30 p.m. on what Puknaitis described as one of the "coldest nights of the year." Sentman heard a "whoosh" sound, Puknaitis said, and then saw the flames. She alerted her 11-year-old sister, friends Molly and Mary Edith and made sure they were out of the basement safely before she back went into the house to look for her brother.

Sentman's brother was not home, but she found the family's 80-pound black Lab "frozen with fear," according to Puknaitis. Sentman then grabbed the dog and attempted to exit from the front door, but was unable to open it due to pressure that had accumulated during the fire.

Puknaitis said the home's picture window then blew out from the pressure and Sentman was able to open the door and carry the dog out of the home.

Because of Sentman's quick thinking, no one inside of the home was injured in the blaze, but she was hospitalized for a few days as she recovered from respiratory burns she suffered during her heroic efforts.

Puknaitis summed up Sentman's actions with a powerful quote that attests to the magnitude of the 20-year-old's life-saving choices. He said, "She was really brave."

Related: Fire That Injured 1 May Have Started Near Christmas Tree

Image credit: Screenshot via Naperville Fire Department Video