Teenager praised a hero after running into burning building to save neighbour

A 15-year old boy from Blaenymaes in Swansea has been hailed a 'hero' after his quick-thinking and actions in saving his 60-year-old neighbour from a severe kitchen fire.Wearing only a pair of shorts, Lewis Evans jumped into action after noticing a large amount of smoke coming from his neighbour's kitchen window just after midnight On Saturday, August 6.The Bishop Gore School pupil broke down his own garden fence and entered the building through the burning back door, fighting his way past the fire in the kitchen area to escort his neighbour to safety through the front door."At first my brothers thought I was joking when I said there was fire coming from next door" said Lewis.Upon calling out for his neighbour, she initially responded to Lewis but later went quiet."That's when I knew something was wrong, I didn't really think too much about everything I just had to check on her," said the teenager.When he reached the neighbour's back door, Lewis noticed a large fire that had burned through most of the kitchen table and was moving into the living room.

He navigated himself quickly through the fire, despite having no protection from the heat or flames."I knew she was in the house somewhere but it was full of smoke and I could not see anything."

With the fire nearing closer to the living room, Lewis was able to take his neighbour's hand and move her quickly out the front door out of harm's way."I don't think I'm a hero, I was just doing what anyone would do," he said.Swansea Central Fire Station has praised the work of the teenager and invited him down to the station."Lewis performed this truly heroic act without a thought for his own safety, and obviously, with none of the protective equipment we firefighters enjoy...his selfless actions to assist his neighbour in her hour of need deserve greater recognition... he seems to think his actions are all quite unremarkable" said Geraint Price, crew manager, Swansea Central Fire Station.With his neighbour sustaining burns during the incident, the fire service argued "without Lewis's quick thinking, things could have been so much worse"His mum, Shauna Hills, said she was "so proud" of her boy.