WACO, Texas — A Texas family who had lost their sense of smell because of the coronavirus was able to safely escape their home after it caught fire early Friday morning because of a family member not infected, investigators said.
Bianca Rivera, 17, was not infected and could smell something burning around 2 a.m., KWTX reported.
She was also able to get their four dogs out safely.
“I started smelling burnt plastic and that’s when I got more alert and ran outside of my room and I couldn’t even pass the hallway because it was filled with so much smoke,” she said. “I knew I had to wake everyone up. I opened the back door and I got everyone out one by one.”
The home was completely engulfed in flames when Waco Fire Department arrived.
“I don’t really count myself as a hero,” she said. “I would just do whatever anyone else would do for their own family. I just wanted to get everyone else safe and alive that’s all I wanted. That’s all I wanted was to keep everyone alive.”
The family escaped with only the clothes on their back. They are staying at a motel while they try to find another place to live. The Red Cross is helping them.