Harlan hero

On most days, JaKari Lewis heads to a local station to visit members of the Florence Fire Department.

But Monday, the firefighters surprised the 11-year-old Harlan Elementary School student with a visit.

About a dozen firefighters walked into the school gym, where Lewis was sitting among classmates at the school’s annual awards day ceremony.

The firefighters were there for a special presentation: a Florence fire helmet for Lewis, who had alerted firefighters of smoke coming from Granny’s Country Kitchen on Oct. 17 when he was visiting Station No. 3, near the restaurant.

That quick notification allowed firefighters to respond immediately and prevent serious damage to the business.

Lewis did not expect the firefighters to recognize him Monday, and certainly didn’t know he would end up owning a helmet.

“I like it,” he said, admiring the helmet after returning to his seat on the gym floor with his classmates, some of whom greeted him with high fives. “I’m gonna keep it in my room and wear it when I’m at the station.”

It should get plenty of wear. Lewis visits Station 3 or Station 5 every day after school and on Saturdays. His mother has taken him there for years.

He said he has wanted to be a firefighter since visiting the station in preschool.

“I like it there,” he said. “I like the fire trucks and just hanging out there.”

Lewis doesn’t necessary have a favorite station among the two, but does appreciate the fact that Station 5 has a popcorn machine, firefighters said.

Lt. Gary Rhodes said firefighters consider Lewis one of the guys and always look forward to his arrival.

“He knows the equipment on each truck and the apparatus,” Rhodes said. “He knows all the firefighters at the stations and what shift they work. He’ll wake up at 8 o’clock on Saturday mornings and listen to his scanner when we do radio checks.”

Lewis was leaving Station 3 about 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 and noticed something strange about Granny’s restaurant.

“I saw thick smoke coming out of the vent,” Lewis said.

“He told his mom ‘I’ve got to tell the firefighters,’ ” Rhodes said.

When he did, firefighters responded and found a fire smoldering in the kitchen.

“We found some tiles smoldering and were able to put it out, and it was a good save,” Rhodes said. “So, JaKari did save the day.”

Owners credit Lewis with saving the restaurant. They said it incurred smoke damage and they closed for about a week to clean it.

One of the first things they did when they reopened was treat Lewis to a free meal. Station 5 had made Lewis a Junior Firefighter and his mother got him a firefighter shirt. When he was eating his meal at Granny’s, the restaurant owners presented him with pants to match the shirt.

Now he has a helmet to complete the set.

“He’s always talking about wanting to be a firefighter,” Rhodes said. “Then, when he had an opportunity to be a hero, he called in a major alarm and averted a lot of damage to the restaurant.”

Lewis isn’t the only resident who recently has been recognized for heroism during a fire.

On May 1, the Florence City Council gave Brittany Frost a commendation for awakening residents at a burning townhouse on Hillsboro Circle and making sure they got out of the fire.

Fire Chief Charlie Cochran said the April 8 blaze could have been fatal had Frost not done what she did.

“Her actions very obviously averted tragedy and the potential loss of life,” Cochran said. “She took the correct actions. She called 911 and then knocked on their door and woke them up. She made sure all the occupants were notified.”

A neighbor, Judy Barber, said Frost is a “low-key person” who doesn’t seek recognition. She said Frost was on her way to her job as an emergency medical technician during the pre-dawn hours when she saw the fire.

Barber said the townhouse is near some trees and another townhouse, so the fire easily could have jumped to additional townhouses.