Puyallup Babysitters Saved 8 Children From Burning House

From l to r: Perez, Harrison, Wood

PUYALLUP, WA - Three local teens were honored for their bravery this week by Central Pierce Fire and Rescue for saving eight children from a burning house in Puyallup in April. Karsyn Perez, 13, Trinity Harrison, 15, and Matthew Wood, 15, sprang into action when a fire broke out in the home, possibly related to an exploding battery in a hoverboard toy.

Central Pierce gave the teens Citizen Lifesaving Awards on Monday for their heroic behavior on April 15.

"My son and his friends will forever be my heroes. Words cannot express how proud I am of these teens! If it wasn't for their quick and precise thinking things could've have been more than devastating," Sarah Wood, Matthew Wood's mother, said on Facebook.

According to interviews given to the Tacoma News Tribune, the three teens were in the downstairs area of the home trying to figure out what to eat when the fire broke out. The fire started at the bottom of the stairs of the home, and quickly spread to garments hanging nearby. Withing minutes, the teens had - literally - leaped through flames to gather the children and get them to safety. The teens said that the fire started when a hoverboard that was plugged in and charging exploded.

When the teens got outside, they realized that one child, a 5-year-old, was missing. Harrison ran back inside the house to get her, according to the News Tribune. Harrison found the scared child upstairs, which by that point was engulfed by black smoke. Harrison had to throw the girl over flames to get her out of the house.

"These three bravely rescued eight children from the upstairs area of the house after a fire broke out at the bottom of the stairs. Central Pierce is proud to recognize them for their quick actions and life saving efforts," the department wrote on Facebook.

Image via Central Pierce Fire and Rescue