LONDON, Ont. - A London teenager is being hailed a hero after saving her siblings from her burning home.
"I just rushed out of the house, grabbed my siblings and pushed them out the door," says 15-year-old Mae Jacobs.
On September 28, an electrical fire in their Northwest London home started while her parents were at work.
"It happened so fast, and there was so much smoke. I couldn't go inside to get our pets so we ran to the neighbours and they called 911," she says.
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Mae's mom Sherri Mills says she has been having panic attacks and trouble sleeping in a pair of hotel suites with six children. They also lost one of their three cats in the fire.
Nearly everything in their home has been damaged by smoke and the kids all left the home only with what they were wearing.
Spearheaded by Ward 7 councillor Josh Morgan, the Hyde Park community has stepped up to help the family.
"The BIA reached out to local businesses for shoes and clothing," says Morgan. "Gateway Church stepped up to pay the veterinary bills and raised about $500 for their immediate needs."
Morgan is also pushing to have Jacobs receive some sort of official recognition for her heroism.
Meanwhile, restoration crews continue to sort through the wreckage and investigators continue to probe the electrical fire.
Mills says the community support has been wonderful. "It's overwhelming to think we need to start from scratch again. Our home suffered extensive damage and it'll be a year before we get back in there."
Mills adds she just wants her family to get back to a sense of normalcy and get on with life as the holidays approach.
She's so proud of her daughter for saving their family. "You can replace your home, and your stuff, but you can't replace your kids."
