Little girl who saved her family from a fire receives award

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - 7-year-old Monibelle Townsend woke up to a tragedy on April 13 but became a hero.

"It was exciting, but when all of our stuff got burned... it wasn't fun," she said. "When everyone was sleeping in the night. I didn't know what happened. I smelled smoke and I heard the fire alarm went off. I woked up everybody and said 'get out the house.' I told everybody to stay down so the fire doesn't hurt anybody, so everyone got out the house safely."

Monibelle had no idea that she would soon experience a fire first-hand. She helped her 6-year-old autistic brother and her grandmother escape the flames that took down their apartment, and could've taken their lives.

Luckily, Monibelle was paying attention when Phoenix firefighters visited her school for a safety class at Desert View Elementary, just days before the fire.

"They told me that, to feel the door when it's hot or cold and to get out the house immediately and you can't bring your pets or anything like that," she said.

Firefighters say they're impressed with what Monibelle did for herself and her family, which is why today, they visited her at school and presented her with the "Citizen Lifesaving Award."

"It's very rewarding for us because we spend a lot of time in the classes and we always wonder 'Is this making a difference?'" said Phoenix firefighter Tommy Reeve. "So, when we hear a story like this, it just helps us to keep doing what we're doing."

Phoenix firefighters say the apartment was a total loss, but the real hero is brave little Monibelle.

"I feel happy about winning this award because it make me feel, I didn't want my family to get hurt," she said.