GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL)- On Jan. 28, 2023, the McGee family’s house caught on fire in Washington County. Thankfully, the actions of their 8-year-old son, Sebastian McGee, allowed the family of seven to get out of the home safely.
Gray Elementary School held a rally Friday to honor Sebastian. The Washington County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) recognized Sebastian for his courage and awarded him a certificate of bravery.
“Sebastian is one of the biggest heroes I’ve ever met,” said WCSO Captain Chris Stine.
Stine said that Sebastian could have a future career in public service.
“We’re very proud of him and wanted to recognize him,” said Stine. “I’m going to try and recruit him to the sheriff’s department later on because what we need is people who are brave like that.”
The house fire was reportedly caused by faulty wiring.
“Whatever they’re teaching these kids in school about fire safety is working,” said Sebastian’s mother, Amber McGee. “We had one smoke detector, so everybody get more smoke detectors. You really need a lot.”
McGee said she heard Sebastian’s scream before she heard any smoke detectors. Sebastian recalled the moment he knew there was an emergency.
“Well for a minute I thought it was just a dream cause mostly I have dreams [that are] kind of scary, and then a curtain fell so I knew it wasn’t,” said Sebastian. “I just screamed ‘fire’ and I woke everyone up.”
The family is living in temporary housing as of Friday and is still looking to find a place to call home months after the fire occurred.
