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CNN Live Today

Five-year-old Girl Takes on Fire

Aired July 23, 2002 - 11:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A little bit of fire safety instruction paid off big time for a family in Indiana. The hero is a quick thinking 5-year-old who almost certainly prevented a tragedy there.

Here now is a report from Indianapolis affiliate WRTV with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN CRANK, 5-YEAR-OLD HERO: I woke up and there was a fire-- and I saw smoke.

SY JENKINS, WRTV REPORTER (voice-over): Lauren Crank was sleeping with her sister Audrey (ph) in a bunk bed next to a wall outlet where a night-light had been burning when Lauren realized the room had filled with smoke. A large stuffed toy Audrey sleeps with had caught on fire from the heat of the night-light.

L. CRANK: I said wake up.

JENKINS (on camera): And then how did you burn your arm?

L. CRANK: In (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

JENKINS (voice-over): All of the adults in the house were sleeping when the fire broke out and Lauren woke them up. A guest dumped a bucket of water on the flames, quickly extinguishing the fire. But not before Lauren had her sister in the bathroom, tending her wounds.

(on camera): You can see here on the mattress where the night- light burned it. And you can see here on the stuffed animal where the fire ignited first. This actually filled the entire home with smoke. And remember, Audrey was wrapped around the stuffed animal.

You took your sister to the bathroom and washed her off.

L. CRANK: Shut door. Shut my bedroom door so the smoke wouldn't get out.

NATASHA CRANK, STEPMOTHER: For a 5-year-old, she (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I mean, it's just like you tell her something, and it just sticks with her. JENKINS (voice-over): Lauren said she learned what to do in a fire in a fire safety class her parents took her to more than a year ago. Columbus Fire Department officials were surprised their class was absorbed so well by someone so young, who has now learned another lesson, along with her sister.

(on camera): What do you think of night-lights now?

L. CRANK: We don't like them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't like them (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Want to thank Sy Jenkins of WRTV for that report.

It turns out both the girls suffered just minor burns. They're both OK now. A fire official says a smoke detector in the home was not working.

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