Schoolboy hailed a hero after saving family from fierce blaze
A quick-thinking Adelaide schoolboy with a cool head managed to get his family to safety after a fire broke out in the backyard shed.
Gino Tiburzi, 12, rang triple-0 then got his young sisters to safety as the fire threatened their West Croydon home.
"I was watching TV and I looked out the window and saw a big fire, I could hear pops and all that, big flares," Gino said.
Without hesitation he rang for help before turning his attention to his sisters, who were sleeping and oblivious to the danger.
"We were in the bedroom and Gino yelled out, 'Fire!'", sister Kiara said.
"I said, 'everyone get out of the house and go to the road, just don't be in the house because something might happen'," Gino said.
"They were crying, very upset, sad, very scared, they just ran straight to my aunties."
Gino's rescue mission wasn't over, though - he raced back inside to alert his elderly grandparents and managed to rescue the family dog Bobby from the backyard.
His proud grandmother says the rest of the family owe their lives to young Gino.
"Lucky, because of the little boy here, lucky," Gino's grandmother said.
Asked if he thought he was a hero, Gino said: "I'm not saying that, but I think everyone says I am, so I think I am."
"He's me and Kiara's hero," sister Bianca said.
A quick response from fire crews prevented flames from spreading to the back of the house, keeping the damage bill to $25,000.
It's not yet known how the fire started.
