LYNWOOD | With a shrug of his shoulders and a shout of “No!” 4-year-old Ronon Thomas offered his thoughts on whether he’s a hero for alerting his family to a fire that destroyed their mobile home at the Alpine Village complex Saturday.
The Lynwood Fire Department would beg to differ, awarding Ronan Thomas and father Brandon Thomas a Certificate of Heroism during a ceremony Tuesday at the Lynwood fire station on Glenwood-Dyer Road. Deputy Chief John Cobb also presented the family with several Christmas presents and gift cards donated by local merchants.
Ronan Thomas seemed more interested in the half dozen helium balloons tied to his arm than all the fanfare over how he woke up his mother and father, who were sleeping when the fire broke out. After being awoken by Ronon, Brandon Thomas then ran through a portion of the home that was on fire to rescue his 1-year-old daughter Teyla.
Brandon Thomas, the burns visible on his face, described his son as a quick learner.
“We taught him at a young age that fire is really bad,” he said. “I think that stuck with him.”
He’s not sure if his son understands the magnitude of what he’s done, but the boy realizes he did the right thing.
“He does know we lost our dog and that we can’t go home,” Brandon Thomas said.
His wife, Kelsey, was beaming with a mother’s pride, saying that if it weren’t for her son, none of them would be alive. She also said they were grateful for the help her family has been receiving since the fire.
“We’ve had so many donations, and this is all over Facebook,” she said. “Complete strangers have called asking what we need.”
The Thomas family, who escaped the fire with only the clothes on their back, are staying with relatives who live in the area.
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