‘Brave’ 12-year-old girl honoured for alerting neighbours to North Vancouver apartment fire – BC

A 12-year-old girl in north Vancouver was honored for her quick thinking on Friday when a fire broke out in her apartment building earlier this week.

Paryas Rezaei was woken up by the sound of fire alarms on December 27 and immediately took action.

She called 911 and then ran down the hall with her parents, knocking on doors to wake her neighbors and saying they had to leave immediately.

“My parents really encouraged me to do that,” Rezaei told Global News. “But I would have done it anyway.”

The flames erupted around 4:15 a.m. in a unit on the third floor of the building on Marine Drive near Lower Capilano Road

All three fire departments on the North Shore responded to the fire.

Two people were taken to hospital and one firefighter was slightly injured. The cause of the fire is not considered suspicious.

Rezaei said her father also tried to return to the building once to make sure everyone was safe, but the smoke was too thick.

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She said the experience of being honored for her actions was very exciting.

“I didn’t even think about it at the time,” she added.

North Vancouver District Fire Chief Brian Hutchinson told reporters Friday that 34 residents of the building are still unable to go home.

“But I think there are some bright spots worth noting,” Hutchinson said.

“Their immediate neighbors … indicated that Paryas probably saved their lives. And I think the actions of the entire family probably had an impact on the entire floor.”

She was presented with a Fire Commissioners Certificate of Commendation, awarded to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to fire safety in the province.

“I think it’s important to remember that it takes a lot of skill and a lot of confidence to put yourself in a situation where many others would hesitate,” added Hutchinson.

Borough Mayor Mike Little was also at the event and said Rezaei was very brave for what she did.

“Thank you for stepping up and taking care of your neighborhood and making sure everyone is okay,” Little said.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.