ALVORD, Texas – A Texas toddler approached his parents’ bedside one recent morning and uttered two words that would ultimately save their lives: “Mama, hot.”
According to a report from The Washington Post, Brandon went to their room at 4:30 a.m., tugged on his mother’s feet and alerted her that their home was on fire.
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Kayla and Nathan Dahl weren’t aware of the fire, as they recently tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn’t smell the smoke that started to fill the inside of their home. The smoke detectors didn’t go off either despite having recently been tested, according to The Post.
Thanks to Brandon’s message, the couple woke up and gathered all of their seven kids to make their escape.
Kayla called 911 from her cellphone and Nathan, who is a volunteer firefighter, got all of the kids to safety. Although they all managed to get out of the home, uninjured, the damage was catastrophic.
The family lost their home of nearly six years and two of their vehicles in the flames, The Post reports.
“It’s going to be a long, hard road to get to be where we need to be and to replace those material items,” Kayla told The Post. “But at the same time, if it wasn’t for my son’s guardian angel that morning, I don’t know where we would be.”
Brandon hadn’t been feeling well that night and slept in the living room, which connects to his parents’ room, so they could better monitor him, according to The Post. His siblings slept in other rooms.
By 4:30 a.m., Brandon had managed to safely escaped the fully-engulfed living room and made it to his parents’ room just in time.
“Somehow, by the grace of God, he was able to make it out of our almost fully engulfed living room into our room,” Kayla told The Post. " … It’s a miracle from God that he was able to do that.”
The Dahls are currently staying with other family members until they can find a rental home.
Next weekend, the family told The Post they hope to bring some cheer with a small birthday party for Brandon, their hailed hero.
“I don’t think he quite understands the impact of what he did and the good thing that he is,” Kayla said to The Post. “But he is relishing the abundance of attention. If we go to Walmart or the gas station and somebody recognizes us from the news, they’ll pat him on the back and try to shake his hand [saying], ‘You’re a hero! I’m so happy to meet a hero!’ "