NC Teen Rescues Infant Cousin From Burning Home

A teenager from North Carolina is being called a hero after he rescued his infant cousin from a burning building.

LJ Gray, who’s a junior at Kinston High School, was outside with family members on Tuesday when his grandmother noticed smoke coming from the home where his cousin was sleeping.

According to authorities, the teen ran into the home through the back door into the kitchen and to the adjacent room where his cousin, Michari Strayhorn, was located.

Gray attempted to escape through the back door, however, the fire and smoke were too intense so he turned and ran to the front door where he managed to make it out safely.

“As a firefighter were trained with all of the protective equipment that we have, the bunker pants, the coats the hoods, gloves, to go into these fires and were trained to know our limits,” Captain Barss said. “And this young man did it with even less than what an average person would be wearing on the street.”

Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after the rescue. Kinston Fire Rescue said that the fire started from over-cooked food on the stove.

The family lost everything in the fire but Gray and his cousin thankfully had no injuries from the smoke or fire.