11-year-old Manitoba boy saves family after alerting them to house fire
An 11-year-old boy on the autism spectrum is being credited with saving his family from a house fire.
Grayson Hunt, 11, likes to get an early start to the day. On Wednesday, however, his morning routine was drastically different.
When Grayson went to use the washroom, he found his Autumnwood Drive apartment filled with smoke.
"I was going to use the bathroom, but I smelled something strange. So I opened the door, and there was a bunch of smoke so I had to close my door and I was scared, and I was like, 'Mom, there's a fire,'" said Grayson.
Grayson's father, Bryan Hunt, said visibility was only about a foot with the amount of smoke in the house.
The family was able to evacuate the household of four, with the only injury being a burn on Grayson's hand.
With the fire being so intense, the family didn't have time to grab shoes, let alone any possessions.
"I had all that memorabilia, war medals, pictures, awards, certificates, everything," said Bryan.
Bryan said there wasn't an audible alarm in the suite despite the smoke detectors being serviced the day before.
"The fire people came in the day before to replace the smoke detectors and he was in and out in a hurry from what I heard," he said.
According to the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS), firefighters arrived at 6:22 a.m. when the building's silent alarm was triggered.
The WFPS said the investigation is ongoing, and no damage estimates are available.
Bryan said the family can't return to Manitoba Housing until the cause of the fire is found.
Without a place to live, the family has been staying in a hotel with the support of the Red Cross and Jordan's Principle.
Though a stressful and uncertain situation, the family is counting their blessings.
"I just wanted to also say how proud we are of our son for alerting us and knowing how important it was to wake us up and get us out of the house. He really is the little hero in this story," Bryan said.
"That makes me feel so much joy, proud," added Grayson.
Item donations are being accepted for the Hunt family at the Canad Inns at 720 William Ave..
The family said it is currently searching for help creating a fundraising page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.