Two young Oxford residents were recognized by the fire department last week for keeping their cool when the situation got hot.
Kevin Godwin, a fifth-grader at Clear Lake Elementary, and his sister Kristen Godwin, an eighth-grader at Oxford Middle School, each received certificates of recognition for demonstrating outstanding fire safety skills.
Earlier this month, the dryer caught fire at their family’s home on Sandhurt St. in Waterstone.
Apparently, a sock got stuck in the vent.
Fortunately, smoke detectors alerted everyone to the fire.
‘I went back into the laundry room, saw the flames and yelled to Kevin to get the fire extinguisher. He brought it to me and got out of the house,? said the kids? mother Colleen Godwin.
While Kevin was busy assisting his mom, Kristen gathered the family pets, two dogs and a cat, and brought them outside to safety.
Colleen was able to put the fire out and fortunately, the only thing they lost was a dryer and some drywall.
‘Had I not been home, I probably would have lost my house or most of it,? she said.
Overall, Colleen was very impressed with how her children reacted and grateful to the Oxford Fire Department, which teaches fire safety classes at the elementary and pre-school levels.
‘The kids didn’t panic,? she said. ‘When they heard the smoke detectors go off, they knew exactly what to do.?