A 12-year-old girl in North Vancouver was honoured Friday for her quick-thinking when a fire broke out in her apartment building earlier this week.
Paryas Rezaei woke to the sound of fire alarms on Dec. 27 and immediately jumped into action.
She called 911 and then ran down the hallway with her parents, knocking on doors to wake their neighbours, saying they needed to leave immediately.
“My parents mostly encouraged me to do it,” Rezaei told Global News. “But I would have done it anyway.”
The flames broke out in a third-floor unit of the building on Marine Drive near Lower Capilano Road around 4:15 a.m.
All three fire departments on the North Shore responded to the blaze.
Two people were taken to the hospital and a firefighter suffered minor injuries. The cause of the fire is not considered to be suspicious.
Rezaei said her dad also tried to go back into the building at one point to make sure everyone was safe but the smoke was too thick.
She said the experience of being honoured for her actions has been very exciting.
“At the time I didn’t even think about it,” she added.
District of North Vancouver Fire Chief Brian Hutchinson told reporters Friday that 34 residents of the building are still not able to go home.
“But I think there are some bright spots that are worth mentioning,” Hutchinson said.
“Their immediate neighbours… indicated that Paryas probably saved their life. And I think the actions of the entire family probably had an impact on the entire floor.”
She was presented with a Fire Commissioners Certificate of Commendation, which is presented to someone who makes an outstanding contribution to fire safety in the province.
“I think it’s important to remember that it takes a lot of skill and a lot of confidence to step into a situation that a lot of others would be hesitant to,” Hutchinson added.
District Mayor Mike Little was also at the event and said Rezaei was very brave for what she did.
“Thank you for stepping up and looking after your neighbourhood and making sure everyone was ok,” Little said.