WEST SPRINGFIELD – Fifth grader Julia Anamisis has been named a hero by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Fire Marshal’s Office after saving her family from a kitchen fire.

On Jan. 23, the Fausey Elementary School student was hanging out in the basement of her home in West Springfield when she heard the fire alarm shriek from upstairs.  Julia ran into the kitchen to find the room engulfed in thick, black smoke. Bright orange flames protruded from the inside of the oven, which had been left on self-cleaning mode.  

Her father, Costas Anamisis, said she ran outside to alert him and her brother, who were putting pellets inside their shed. Her mother and sister weren’t home.

While Julia and her brother waited on the lawn in front of their grey three-story-home, Anamisis said he was able to contain the fire inside the oven using a fire extinguisher. The West Springfield Fire Department later arrived and put the fire out. Because of Julia’s actions, no one was hurt, said Costas.

“We’re very proud of Julia and how she handled the situation,” her father said.

Her parents weren’t the only ones who were proud.

More than 50 Fausey Elementary students filed into the school’s stage-room on Feb. 6 to watch the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Fire Marshal’s Office present the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Program “Young Hero” award to Julia.

A number of state, local and school district officials attended the event, including Mayor William Reichelt, West Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Michael Richard, West Springfield Fire Chief William Flaherty and other West Side firefighters. Julia’s family was also in attendance

During the award ceremony, the officials and firefighters took turns praising Julia and her classmates.

“As firefighters, we couldn’t be more proud that one of your classmates was able to follow all of the things we teach about fire safety, and make sure that something that could’ve been a very dangerous situation, didn’t get dangerous at all,” firefighter Brina Fondi told the students.

Fondi was one of the firefighters who responded to the scene at Julia’s home.

Superintendent Michael Richard offered his thoughts on the situation from an educator’s perspective.

“One of the things we emphasize as educators for you students is problem solving,” said the superintendent. “What happened a couple of weeks ago is a great example of using problem solving skills. So congrats to all of you for making good decisions everyday.”

On behalf of Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, SAFE Coordinator David DeMarco presented the Young Hero award to a teary-eyed Julia, and encouraged all of her classmates to go outside immediately if ever caught in a similar situation.

The SAFE Program is a state initiative that provides resources to local fire departments for fire and safety education programs in grades K-12. The mission of the program is to enable students to recognize the dangers of fire and the fire hazards that are caused by tobacco products.

Fondi, who is also a SAFE educator, said it’s important to teach children fire prevention tips at a young age so that they can carry them into adulthood.

“Fire prevention is really something that starts with kids – their actions could either cause fires or prevent fires from happening,” she said. “So, we give them the information that they need to know for fire safe behaviors – like what things they shouldn’t do and what they should do if they see someone behaving in a way that’s not fire safe - we give them all of that knowledge, and then they grow up and tell their friends and their communities and spread this wave of fire safety. It starts with the kids.”

According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS), kitchen fires are the leading cause of house fires and fire injuries in the state.

In 2016, 72 percent of the reported 14,173 residential structure fires were due to cooking-related outbreaks. Derryl Dion, a research analyst at the DFS, said cooking is the most common cause of house fires because almost everyone does it.

“Cooking is usually always the leading cause,” he said. “That’s because everybody has to do it – it doesn’t matter if it’s a gas burner or an electrical burner, it’s still heat being applied. It’s something everybody does at home, every day – sometimes three times a day.”

The DFS provides online resources for kitchen fire prevention, such as programs like “Stand by Your Pan” and “Put a Lid on It,” while Mass.gov offers the following tips:

• Cover a pan or grease fire with a lid and turn off the heat. Baking soda also works.

• Don’t move a burning pan.

• Don’t use water or a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
Stand by your pan. Don't leave food, grease or oils cooking on the stovetop unattended.

• Wear short or tight-fitting sleeves when cooking.

• Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent spills.

• Create a three-foot childfree zone around the stove. Keep pets away also.

• Keep combustible items like potholders, towels, and paper or plastic bags away from burners.

• Don’t put metal in a microwave. Utensils, aluminum foil or twist-tie wraps can cause a fire.

• Use caution with microwaved food and liquid. They can become very hot.

• Unplug appliances like toasters and coffee makers when not in use.

• Don’t use the oven for storage.

If a fire does begin in an oven or microwave, Dion said it’s best to keep the door closed, turn off the appliance and call the fire department.

Fondi and other firefighters always encourage children to tell an adult or someone who can call the fire department, and then immediately go outside. To learn more about child prevention resources, Fondi recommends website like www.sparky.org, which offers fire safety activities and games.