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YOUNG FIREFIGHTERS - Leyton Burcham (left) and Patrick Owens took quick action and their garden hoses to the Jim Smith house in Country Estates Sunday. Sullivan Firefighters representative Kenny Graven (center) was on hand to present the young volunteers with Sullivan Fire Department shirts.

•August 12, 2015•

By Mike Brothers

Quick action by two young Sullivan teenagers at a neighbor’s house fire Sunday may have saved the day.

Sullivan’s Fire Department decided to honor that brave effort.

“These boys thought quickly,” fireman Dan Baugher said of their reaction to the fire at Jim and Sheila Smith’s house in Country Club Estates.

“They saw a situation that was bad and tried to make it better.” Baugher said, noting the department appreciated that effort and gave them honorary firefighter t-shirts.

Leyton Burcham,14, and Patrick Owen,13, noticed the blaze at their neighbor’s and immediately got a ladder, two hoses and went to work.

“We came around the corner on our way home from church when I saw the smoke,” Leyton said. “At first I thought the smoke was coming from my house.”

“Pulling into the drive I noticed flames coming out the side of their house,” Leyton said.” So I grabbed their hose while Mom went to get a ladder.”

Cheri Burcham called 9-1-1 while fetching the ladder for her young firefighter.

Deb Owens, Patrick’s mom, was standing in her kitchen. “I heard a crash and knew it was close, but I had no idea it was across the street.”      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.