Teen saves mom, sister in Santa Ana home fire
A 16-year-old was credited with saving the lives of his mother and sister Wednesday when he grabbed an extendable staircase and led them from the second-story balcony as a fast-moving fire engulfed their Santa Ana home.
Armani Rodriguez, sleeping in his ground-floor bedroom, was awakened by the smoke alarm about 2:30 a.m. He heard his mother screaming from the balcony. The indoor stairway was already ablaze, said Ben Gonzalez, spokesman for the Santa Ana Fire Department.
Armani grabbed hold of the staircase and used it to bring his mother and younger sister to safety before firefighters arrived.
His mother, Lilly Rodriguez, said all her belongings -- including furniture, mementos and Christmas gifts -- were ruined.
The Fire Department estimated damage to the house and belongings at $900,000. Gonzalez said investigators believed the fire, in the 900 block of West Alpine Avenue, started accidentally and may have originated in the home’s electrical system.
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