A 5-Year-Old Boy’s Quick Thinking Saved More Than A Dozen People From A House Fire In Chicago

The quick thinking of 5-year-old Jayden Espinosa — along with the boy’s penchant for being a very early riser — helped to save the lives of more than a dozen people in Chicago as a fire tore through their home.

As Fox 32 News reported, Jayden was awake when a fire broke out at his home in the 5000 block of south Marshfield this week. The fire started at close to 4 a.m. when everyone else in the house was sleeping, but Jayden was awake, along with his mother, and the boy noticed the smoke.

As the report noted, Jayden moved quickly, running to tell his aunt and the others inside that the house had caught on fire. The home was filled with family members, as the report noted that Jayden, his mom, and his two sisters were staying with their aunt at the time.

But Jayden didn’t stop there. The home was a duplex with other neighbors living downstairs, so the 5-year-old boy ran down to alert them of the fire. In all, his quick thinking saved the lives of 13 people, and his own as well. The fire alarms in the home were not functioning, so all of those inside could have slept through the fire were it not for Jayden’s heroic actions.

The family is now receiving assistance from the Red Cross, and some friends have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for their recovery.

Jayden Espinosa is not the only young child to save his family from a fire. Back in 2017, an 8-year-old girl from Baltimore was hailed as a hero for saving the lives of two of her brothers in a fire that claimed the lives of six children. As the Baltimore Sun reported, the fire was raging through the home in the city’s northeast side when the young girl helped to pull out her two brothers.

This is 5 yo Jayden Espinosa. Thanks to Jayden, 13 people and a pet turtle got out of a burning house this morning. Watch the complete story on the news @5 on NBC Chicago @CFDMedia @ChicagoFireDep #Hero pic.twitter.com/hZUpIyraNC

— ReginaWaldroupNBC5 (@ReginaWaldroup) July 27, 2019

The fire was so intense that it reportedly melted parts of nearby cars, and firefighters had to take a knee in front of the building as they were unsuccessful in attempts to gain entry.

The fire in Chicago this week had a much happier ending, as the young boy’s actions helped to evacuate everyone before there were any serious injuries. When asked how he was able to keep his cool amid the burning house and save the lives of his family and their neighbors, Jayden Espinosa had a very honest answer.

“Because I’m smart and brilliant,” the boy said.