Young Hero May Have Saved a Life
He was walking down the Black River Road, heading to the Oxford Lions Park for a swim with friends. It was Tuesday, July 10th, and he was late, hurrying, when he noticed smoke curling up from under the front porch of a house.
That’s when Keegan Kouwenberg ran into the driveway for a closer look. He saw flames in the latticework and he knew he could not step on the porch to go to the front door.
The eleven year old ran to a neighbour’s house to call 911. When nobody answered, he ran home.
His mother, Jennifer Kouwenberg, made the emergency call, relaying the information from her son, including the civic address. Keegan knew the address was critical information because he heard it often on his father’s pager. Steven Kouwenberg is a member of the Oxford Fire Department (OFD).
With help on the way, mother and son returned to the house and noted the fire was growing.
Keegan was concerned that somebody was inside. He was joined by Susan Patriquin, and together they went around the house, yelling at each window.
Keegan made enough noise that he woke Howie Dulenty, the homeowner, who was having a nap.
Homeowner Takes Action
Dulenty came out to see the fire under his front porch. Using his garden hose, he started pouring water on the mulch and lattice. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was out, with the damage limited to a small portion of the porch and the decorative latticework.
A few cars had passed by the house during the emergency. A high row of dense trees obscured much of the scene. Keegan, while walking, was in a unique position to see the smoke.
The owners of the house were truly grateful. Had the boy not seen the smoke and responded so quickly, with precise detail, who knows how serious a catastrophe might have followed.
The very dry conditions would have prompted a rapid spread of the fire. The sleeping man would not have been alerted until the blaze was in his house. In fact, some feel it may have grown much worse.
Keegan received a card of thanks that called him a hero. The homeowners wanted to give him a reward but the young man kept saying no thanks. Dulenty insisted and gave Keegan fifty dollars, which he promptly spent on a Lilac bush to add to the Dulenty garden.
Training Pays Off
When asked how he knew what to do as the emergency unfolded, Keegan said he learned fire safety at his 4-H club. He also gave credit to fire safety training conducted by Oxford Fire at his school.
It was also clear that he learned from his dad, a firefighter of six years with OFD.
Is Keegan a hero? He says no. But, given the circumstances, his action averted a crisis, perhaps a fatality. Hero or not, Keegan Kouwenberg did the right thing… he cared about others and responded when he saw a need, even though he was hurrying to go swimming with his friends.
The main photo shows Keegan pointing to where he saw the fire. New latticework replaces the charred area. The Kouwenberg family gathered in front of the fire scene: L to R Jennifer, Steven, Keegan (red shirt) and Brody.