8-year-old with spina bifida saves family from fire that destroyed home

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga — A Clayton County family is crediting one of the children for saving everyone from a house fire, which ultimately destroyed their home.

They are now relying on the kindness of others this Easter as they work to rebuild their home.

The Brittenum family told Channel 2's Matt Johnson their home has been deemed unsafe to live in for the family of eight.

The family has been living out of a hotel for three weeks. There are six children ranging in age from 7 months old to 15 years old who have had to adjust to their new life as well.

They had only lived in their home on Ernest Drive in Forest Park for four months.

Their 8-year-old daughter, who was born with spina bifida, woke everyone up so they could get out.

Mother Tiffany Brittenum told Johnson she had to drop some of her children through a window and onto pillows while they looked for the front door.

Smoke damage destroyed everything inside the house.

Still, the Brittenum family is leaning on its faith while trying to rebuild.

“We do think that God allowed this fire to happen for a reason and maybe everything we lost we're going to get it back more abundantly,” Tiffany Brittenum told Johnson.

The family believes it was an electrical fire in the attic that sparked the flames. They showed Johnson a Forest Park fire report that indicated the fire was unintentional.

Cox Media Group