Canonsburg girl receives award for alerting family to house fire
CANONSBURG – Nevaeh Ellis’s first name is “Heaven” spelled backward.
The 7-year-old Canonsburg girl provided divine intervention Jan. 9 when she alerted her family to an early morning house fire, enabling them to escape their Valley View Terrace home unharmed.
Nevaeh was presented with the Lifesaving Award for Heroism Monday night at the Canonsburg Borough Council meeting.
Nevaeh awoke at about 1 a.m. with a burning sensation in her throat and went into her parents’ room and woke them to tell them something was wrong.
“All of our throats were burning,” said Nevaeh’s mother, Ashley McKean. “It was from the fire, which started in the laundry room. Our downstairs was filled with smoke. It was a shocking feeling. I never expected something like that to happen.”
McKean and Nevaeh’s father, John Ellis, got Nevaeh and her four brothers, who range in age from 2 to 6 years old, out of the house and called 911.
Canonsburg firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.
The fire was caused by an electrical problem in the clothes dryer.
“Through her efforts to awaken Mom and Dad and alerting the fire department, they got out and stayed out,” said Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome.
Nevaeh’s grandmother, Tracy Silver of Canonsburg, credits the little girl for her actions that helped save the family’s lives.
“I’m just thankful to God they’re all OK,” she said.