Detroit Fire Department Awards Civilian Citation Award To Neighbors For Saving Mom And Small Kids From House Fire

(CBS DETROIT)-  "So I just started franticly calling for my neighbors, it is only by the grace of God," Victoria Witherspoon of Detroit tells a group of reporters Thursday.

That they were around to answer that call. Witherspoon recalls a terrifying morning this passed August, when she was awaken by smoke detectors in her Rosedale Park home.

"Downstairs all I see is black smoke everywhere so I ran back up, grab my babies thinking we're going to be able to go back down," Witherspoon said.

She said going out the front door was a no go, smoke had overcome the entire lower level, so now with her 3month and 1 ½ year old in her arms she franticly started looking for an upstairs escape from her burning home.

"Luckily we had a backdoor with a back deck and we were able to leave out of there," said Witherspoon.

Witherspoon says, they were too far up to jump; that's when a few brave neighbors sprang into action.

"Hand me a baby, I'm like, hand me a baby, and she's reluctant in doing it and finally she drops them," said neighbor Byron Boykin.

"Byron grabbed my legs to kind of secure me as I got one of the babies down and he got the other one down and then it was just convincing her to come down," neighbor Chris Beebe said.

With neighbors help Victoria did come and they all escaped safely.

Today those 4 heroic neighbors were honored by the Detroit Fire Department with a Civilian Citation award.

"Your actions saved your neighbors from a deadly fire," said Eric Jones, Detroit Fire Commissioner.

Firefighters credit a working smoke detector in the home for alerting the family of smoke in the home with this weekend being day light saving time they want to remind people to make sure your smoke detector is working properly. If you're in need of a smoke detector reach out to your local fire department.

Victoria says without it and courageous neighbors, she or her precious babies may not be here.

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