A 5-year-old boy in Longview, Texas is being celebrated as a true hero after helping save six people from a house fire early Friday morning. 

According to local station KLTV, the child, Jayden, was the only person awake when he heard popping sounds and saw flames coming from the front door of the home. Still wrapped in his blanket, he quickly woke up his aunt, Lula Craven. “I went in her room and said, 'Fire,' ” Jayden recalled to KYTX, setting off a chain of events that helped the entire house get out safely. 

The fire broke out around 6:19 a.m. on April 3 at a home on Jester Circle, where firefighters later found heavy fire at the front of the residence. The Longview Fire Department said Jayden’s awareness was “instrumental” in preventing injuries or loss of life. 

A neighbor, Jana Herrera, who is an EMT and volunteer firefighter, also happened to drive by and saw the fire. She called 911 and entered the home, helping pull one woman outside and then assisting with the evacuation of other residents, including a bed-bound woman in the adjoining duplex.  "Without that kid, I think things would have gone a little differently," Herrera told ABC7. She also called Jayden a "very heroic little boy," noting that he is one of her daughter's classmates. 

All six people inside made it out safely, though one person was evaluated for possible smoke inhalation. The fire caused an estimated $75,000 in damage and was attributed to an electrical issue on the front porch. The family has since been displaced, and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist. Craven called her nephew both an “angel” and a hero.