ONA, W.Va. (AP) - When the boots come on and the engines roll out, firefighters know they'll rarely find any joy at the end of an emergency call. As Milton and Ona firefighters hosed down the charred frame of the Grove family's home on Dec. 19, the bravery of one Ona Elementary third-grader highlighted the silver lining on smoke clouds.
With a space heater fire spiraling out of control in their Malcolm Springs home, 9-year-old Kenny Grove rushed through the house upstairs to his sister's bedroom, shaking sleeping 7-year-old Kaylie Grove awake and out the door.
Recognizing more than most the courage a burning building requires, the Ona Volunteer Fire Department honored Kenny with a ceremony Jan. 2 at the department's Howells Mill Road station.
"When someone shows courage and bravery like this, you have to recognize it," Ona Fire Chief Walt Williams said. "Our job is a thankless job. There are not too many people who want to come in through the door and do this job, especially for nothing."
Kenny was shy to receive his certificate of recognition from Williams and the other firefighters, and couldn't pin down the hows or whys of what happened the morning of Dec. 19. All he knew, then and now, was to let his instincts take over.
"I just did what I did," Kenny shrugged. "I wasn't really thinking about it."
Just a baseball's throw from Ona Elementary, Kenny's third-grade class had recently taken a field trip walk over to the fire station, learning the ins and outs of fire safety. While nobody thinks it will happen to them, Williams knows too well that an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. Honoring those who react with intelligent instincts is part of the station's public service, he said.
"It's good to see young people learning fire prevention," Williams said. "The kids are easier to teach than adults and they learn better. They're always soaking up all the knowledge that we can give to them like a sponge."
Kenny said he sure doesn't feel like a hero, but his family thought otherwise. His grandparents, Mark and Annette Grove, were in their home with Kaylie asleep upstairs when a space heater's gas hose ruptured in the living room around 9 a.m. that Saturday. While Annette and Kenny frantically tried to contain the fire, it spread out of control to the couch, curtains and Christmas presents.
With time to escape running out, Kenny pulled his sister out of bed and grabbed one of the two family dogs. Once outside, Kenny tore through the neighborhood, banging on doors for a phone to call 911. Milton firefighters responded first, but the house had become a total loss with one of the family's dogs dying inside.
Thanks to Kenny, that's all that was lost. Obviously proud of their grandson, Mark and Annette said Kenny's bravery is a combination of who he is and what he learned that day in school.
"When he came home from school that afternoon, he had us do a fire drill," Mark said. "We went through the whole system they had taught him, and I think if it wouldn't have been for that, he wouldn't have done the things he did."
"I think he's remarkable," Annette said. "He's a special kid anyway. He's just precious. He's just got a big heart."
While Kenny had nerves of steel during the fire, Annette said Kenny still had a 9-year-old boy's moment of losing everything before Christmas.
"Later, he broke down, but at the time he did what he needed to do," she said.
While Kenny said he doesn't plan on a firefighting future, he said he'd rather be a police officer or join the military. Whatever the path, the big-hearted little boy has a mountain of bravery to serve him well.