ARLINGTON, Texas — On Wednesday, the Arlington Fire Department presented a letter of commendation to a 15-year-old who helped evacuate his neighbors from their burning home.
Cayden Person, a rising freshman at Arlington Martin High School, says he heard crackling when he let the dog out Saturday morning. He'd stayed up the night before.
"I thought it was a bonfire, but I was wondering why there was a bonfire at 7 a.m.," he told WFAA.
He realized the home behind his house was on fire and instructed his mother to call 911. Barefoot and shirtless, Person raced around the block to bang on the neighbor's door.
A mother and two of her sons were inside the home, unaware a fire was spreading in their attic. They'd just woken up to watch cartoons, the mother told WFAA Wednesday.
The family of six lost everything, she said. They've created a GoFundMe for help replacing their belongings. The mother credits Person for saving their lives.
"I didn't really think of it," Person said. "I put them first, instead of me."
It's not yet clear how the fire started. The home's walls are still standing, but the roof is gone and the interior is hollow. The fire burned hottest above the bedrooms.
"Had he not notified them, this could've been a completely different outcome," Arlington Fire Department lieutenant Adam Evans said. "That quick thinking definitely made a difference."
Arlington firefighters thanked Person during an informal ceremony at the nearest firehouse Wednesday.
"He's a sharp kid," Evans said. "Quick thinking. A lot of kids would've been kind of scared of something like that."
"It feels really good to know that people appreciate me and what I've done to help somebody," Person said. "It was a good thing to do. I'm already that way because of my mom."
The 15-year-old starts high school football practice next week.