Eight year old boy calls 911 after escaping house fire

GOOSE CREEK, SC (WCSC) - City of Goose Creek fire officials are commending an 8-year-old boy who called 911 after his house caught on fire Thursday afternoon.

The fire on Blenheim Court broke out in an upstairs bedroom, according to fire officials. The child and his 5-year-old brother were home alone at the time.

"My house is smoking," the child can be heard saying on the call to a 911 operator.

Officials say the 8-year-old made the call from his backyard and that his brother also got out safely.

"Are you coming quick?", the child is heard saying to the operator.

"Yes, we have the fire department coming, just stay on the line with me okay?", the operator is heard saying.

"Hurry please," the child is heard telling the operator.

"Ok, just stay on the line with me. I'm going to stay on the line with you until the fire department gets there, okay?", she is heard replying.

Fire officials say it's helpful when a child knows what to say to a 911 operator.

"He made our life easier as it made the fire department's response a lot better, knowing that everybody was out of the house and they were on the phone with the dispatcher," said City of Goose Creek Assistant Fire Chief Norm Cutshall.

The boy's parents told us their son learned how to call 911 in school. Officials have ruled the fire was an accident. The cause is under investigation.

There was fire and smoke damage throughout the house, according to officials. The Goose Creek Police Department is investigating the incident.

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