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In Wicomico County, shortly after 6 p.m., first responders were dispatched to a stretch of Jersey Road in Salisbury, where there was a reported blaze that broke out in one of the apartment units, setting off smoke alarms that allowed the occupants to escape.
Two of eight units at the complex were rendered uninhabitable following the fire, but true tragedy was averted thanks to the quick-thinking, death-defying 11-year-old hero, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.
Officials say that the 11-year-old boy exited the apartment when he discovered the fire, but once outside, noticed that his 2-year-old baby sister was still inside the burning building.
Defying all logic, the boy braved it all and dashed back into the residence, where he was able to rescue his sister from the second floor and got her to safety without much incident.
The boy suffered minor burns making the second bold escape, but officials said that his injuries were so minor that they did not even require any medical attention at the scene.
According to the fire marshal, the blaze began in a second-floor bedroom of one of the units and was discovered by occupants of the residence. It took a team of 25 firefighters approximately 10 minutes to get the flames under control, but not before the daring rescue.
The fire caused an estimated $290,000 ($250,000 to the structure, $40,000 to its contents), though the preliminary cause remains accidental, though an electrical event in an outlet in the bedroom cannot be ruled out.
Officials say the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
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