By Scott Roblin

Fire victim thanking courageous neighbour for saving grandson

Jun 13, 2018 | 4:46 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Quick thinking from Rhonda Huisman’s neighbour likely saved the life of her 12-year-old grandson last week.

A fire started in her Cypress Way SE garage last Tuesday, after two youths inside were reportedly flicking matches at a pool of gasoline.

Escaping the blaze, Huisman’s grandson tried to go back inside the garage to put out the fire, and that’s when her neighbour stepped in.

According to Medicine Hat Fire Prevention Officer Curtis Sjodin, the neighbour ran towards the garage to stop the boy.

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

“The neighbour obviously knew as an adult that the fire was growing in size, [he] prevented him from going back in,” said Sjodin. “So, obviously great job to that neighbour, he may have saved that kid.”

A back draft followed soon after, which eventually engulfed the garage in flames.

Sjodin said the boy was lucky when the neighbour intervened when he did.

“That youth did have burns on his lower extremities already, so obviously it could have been much worse if he went in again,” he said.

“It’s a miracle really,” said Huisman. “As I know the circumstances that are involved, it definitely was a miracle that no one was seriously injured or killed.”

CHAT News reached out to the neighbour for an interview but he decided not to comment.

Huisman said it takes a special person to run towards a burning building to save a complete stranger.

“Definitely a hero behaviour, above and beyond,” she said. “Then he went to the neighbour’s house, banged on her door and got her out of there, because they were worried the fire was going to spread.”

Huisman’s home-based massage business is being put on hold during the clean up of her home, with damage pegged at around $250,000.

But, community support like a recent Go Fund Me page that’s raised closed to $2,700 is helping to ease the financial and emotional burden.

“It brought me to my knees at the beginning and I feel I’m standing pretty solid right now,” she said.

Huisman is still hoping to speak with the man who pulled her grandson out, saying she owes him a debt of gratitude.

“I’m just going to grab him and hang on,” she said. “And, I tell him if he needs any massage for the rest of his life, body work, fixing whatever, he has a free lifetime membership with me.”

Thankful her grandson is still alive, Huisman added it’s the silver lining to come from the blaze, in what could have been a devastating tragedy.

“Do everything you can to take care of the people around you, because you just never know when something really disastrous, or god forbid involving a fatality, can happen,” she said.

The Medicine Hat Fire Department is advising home owners to keep gasoline and other accelerants out of the reach of kids and to speak to children about proper fire safety protocols.