{"id":108628,"date":"2021-01-17T01:46:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-17T01:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=108628"},"modified":"2021-01-17T01:46:39","modified_gmt":"2021-01-17T01:46:39","slug":"girl-17-saves-covid-stricken-family-from-house-fire-after-they-couldnt-smell-smoke-because-of-lost-sense-of-smell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/girl-17-saves-covid-stricken-family-from-house-fire-after-they-couldnt-smell-smoke-because-of-lost-sense-of-smell\/","title":{"rendered":"Girl, 17, 'saves Covid-stricken family from house fire after they couldn't smell smoke because of lost sense of smell'"},"content":{"rendered":"

A TEENAGE girl has been praised after saving three members of her family who had lost their sense of smell to Covid-19 from a house fire. <\/p>\n

Bianca Rivera, 17, smelled smoke and was able to alert her family after a fire broke out at their home in Waco, Texas.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

The Waco Fire Department was called to the one-story home at around 2am on Friday morning. <\/p>\n

A post on the department's social media from the time described the building as "heavily involved in fire".<\/p>\n

The property had been largely destroyed by the time firefighters arrived, but all the inhabitants made it out alive. <\/p>\n

Speaking to KWTX, Bianca said: \u201cI started smelling burnt plastic. That\u2019s when I got more alert and ran outside of my room. <\/p>\n

"I couldn\u2019t even pass the hallway because it was filled with so much smoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I had to wake everyone up.<\/p>\n

"I opened the back door and I got everyone out one by one.\u201d<\/p>\n

A loss of a sense of smell and taste is a common symptoms experienced by people infected with coronavirus. <\/p>\n

Everyone in the home, including the family's four dogs, made it to safety, though they could only take with them the clothes they were wearing. <\/p>\n

Pictures from the scene show one half of the house reduced to a blackened shell. <\/p>\n

Asked about her actions, Bianca continued: \u201cI don\u2019t really count myself as a hero.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly it was just me protecting my family and getting them to [safety]. <\/p>\n

"It didn\u2019t matter to me if I was going to get hurt or I was going to get burned.<\/p>\n

"As long as I got them out safe and sound I was going to be fine. All I wanted was to keep everyone alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

A follow-up post from the Waco fire Department said the family was "lucky to be alive" and "owed their lives" to Bianca. <\/p>\n

It added: "[We]\u2069 would like to remind everyone to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home".<\/p>\n

The family are now staying in a motel until they can find alternative accommodation. <\/p>\n

The Red Cross is also now reportedly helping the family.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n