26-01-2025
15-Year-Old Girl Saves Classmate From Fire but Says ‘I Really Should've Done More' After 3 Others Died in the Blaze
A 15-year-old girl is being called a hero after saving her classmate's life from a deadly building fire.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Key West Fire Department and the Police Department responded to reports of a fire at an apartment building at 1010 Emma Street in Key West, Fla., a Facebook post by the City of Key West Government confirmed.
Three people died in the blaze including a 7-year-old child, while three other children were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital.
The City of Key West Fire Department arrived on the scene within minutes, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ, by which time high schooler Ashlyne Dorvil had already saved a young boy.
'I came outside and I heard a big pop and there was a little boy laying down on the floor and we, my uncle and my brother, we all dragged that little boy out the house, he was burning up and shaken up on the floor, on the grass,' Dorvil told WTVJ.
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The teenager continued, saying "I really should've done more, went inside that house, just say, 'Forget it,' and go inside."
Having saved herself and a classmate, Dorvil confessed she's struggled with the thought of being unable to help anyone else.
"It's called survivor's guilt, you know after you just got done experiencing stuff like that," she told WTVJ.
Key West Fire Chief Alan Averette told the outlet that his own team seems a similar way. "It's very tough," he said, "My guys are a bunch of strong men and women but it's hitting 'em hard."
PEOPLE reached out to the Key West Fire Department but did not immediately hear back.
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ABC-affiliate WPLG reports that the building was a three-bedroom unit in a public housing building.
Five people were stuck inside the home upon the fire crew's arrival, per CBS.
Officials confirmed to the outlet that the smoke detectors in the home were working when the incident started around 7 p.m on Thursday.
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Neighbor Alvina Covington told CBS that she saw one of the boys jump out of the window and one of the girls escape the house. Another neighbor recalled seeing a girl run out and shout that her parents were still inside.
CBS reports that fire officials believe the fire started in the downstairs section of the two-story building.
The three surviving children are each being treated for burns and smoke inhalation. One of the victims was in critical condition on Friday.
The Red Cross and Key West Housing Authority have ensured housing for the displaced families, officials say.
The state fire marshal is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Read the original article on People
