11-year-old hero honored

Published: December 14, 2006 | 5196th good news item since 2003

Eleven-year-old Aspen Light was doing something nice trying to surprise her mom Monday night: cooking dinner.

But things went horribly wrong when the oil in the pan caught fire.

Aspen quickly threw the pan into the sink and tried to put out the fire with water, but the red hot flames leaped higher, catching a roll of paper towels hanging above the sink ablaze.

Aspen knew it was time to get out and call for help.

Aspen was scared, but, without even stopping to put on her shoes to protect her bare feet from the cold, wet pavement, she lead her two younger brothers – Dyllan Light, 9, and Garrett Bowermaster, 8 – and their dog out of their apartment.

For once, her little brothers, who don’t always listen to what she tells them to do, did exactly as she instructed. They were scared, too, she said.

Once outside, Aspen ran down the block to Americus Diamond, where she told manager Ron Khare and a customer in the store about the fire.

As the 911 call was placed, Khare and the customer ran up to the apartment at 110 1/2 W. Burlington Ave., and the customer put out the fire using the sink’s sprayer hose before the Fairfield firemen arrived.

“We don’t know who he is,” said Dana Bowermaster, Aspen’s mother. “But he knows who he is, and we’re very thankful.”

“He can stop in and the driver on duty will buy him a pop,” said Tim Terrell, a captain with the Fairfield Fire Department.

Because of the young man’s actions, there was very little damage to the family’s home, said Dana Bowermaster.

In recognition of Aspen’s brave actions, the fire department presented the Washington Elementary School fifth grader with a framed certificate during a simple ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the fire station.

Published in Heroes and Kids & Teens
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