Detroit teen helps his family escape their burning home
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Updated:
By Maurielle Lue Fox 2 News Reporter
DETROIT (WJBK) -- 15-year-old De'Monta Palmer is a hero. He rescued his family from a devastating fire that took their home early Thursday morning.
"I saw... flames (outside) my window, and I immediately rushed out of my bed and I went to my mother's room and I kind of panicked. I yelled, 'Wake up, wake up!" he explained.
Palmer said the house was engulfed in flames. His parents and older brother were still asleep. He knew what he had to do.
"I wasn't scared because I knew I had to do my job to get my family out of there and I was quite confident about doing it."
Seconds after Palmer and his family were safe, the stairwell collapsed. Had he waited any longer, the family would've been forced to jump from the second story balcony.
"I've been here for 20 years and it's just all memories gone," said Yavonne Flounory, De'Monta's mother.
Smoking rubble is all that is left of their family memories. They escaped with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Palmer will be staying with friends until his family gets back on their feet. The rest of the family will receive food and shelter from the Red Cross for the next three days.
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