WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor fire officials are calling a young boy courageous and brave for calling for help after witnessing a fire in a neighbour’s yard.
Four-year-old Ali Afif was at home Wednesday morning when he saw flames and black smoke coming from a neighbour’s yard.
“A car was on fire," he says.
With Afif’s quick thinking and action, he told his mother to call for help.
“He says, ‘mom smoke! Black smoke, black smoke.’” I thought he was just joking because he’s constantly playing firefighter and that’s his favourite thing to do,” says Ali’s mother, Iman Afif.
Windsor Fire and Rescue battled the car fire on Vicky Circle Wednesday, but fire officials say without Afif’s quick response, it could have been much worse.
“The longer we wait the worse the fires could get and it could have spread to the house,” says Windsor firefighter, Jeremy Soulliere.
On Saturday, firefighters presented Afif with a special gift.
“I got a certificate and a t-shirt,” he says.
“We wanted to make sure you knew Windsor firefighters are very proud of what you did,” says Soulliere.
Soulliere tells CTV news you’re never too young to learn about fire safety.
“Make sure kids know what number to call, 911 if there’s an emergency, how to get out of the house,” says Soulliere. “Practice fire escape plans. When there’s a doubt if you think someone is hurt or needs help, we need to call 911 and Ali did just that.”
Afif says he was glad to help, “I’m so proud.”
“Courageous, brave, smart everything you want in a firefighter that’s for sure and we are super proud of him,” says Soulliere. “He did a great job.”
“I want to be a firefighter when I grow up,” says Afif.
