6-Year-Old's Alert Helps Family Escape House Fire

A firefighter's 6-year-old daughter is being credited with saving her family from an early morning blaze that heavily damaged their home in the Boston suburb of Swampscott.

Her mother says Victoria Pierro woke up at about 5 a.m. Tuesday when a fan in her second-floor bedroom stopped running, and told her something was wrong.

Lori Pierro said she then noticed flames outside the house near the kitchen. The mother ran upstairs just as smoke alarms began to go off to wake her husband Anthony and their 12- and 15-year-old sons.

Lori Pierro says Victoria is "our hero."

Fire Chief Kevin Breen said the family got out with seconds to spare. He said the three-alarm fire apparently started in a detached garage.

Anthony Pierro's fellow Swampscott firefighters are setting up an account for the family.