A horrible wildfire broke out last evening in Bellevue, WA, but brave citizen Lisa Harris emerged a hero after she risked her life and ran inside one of the burning buildings to silence the smoke detector.
“It was really a gut instinct,” says the good Samaritan. “I’d like to think if anyone was in my position, they wouldn’t hesitate to rush in there and save everyone’s poor ears from that loud ass beeping.”
Deemed one of the town’s worst disasters in decades, the fire burned down multiple houses and killed dozens before it was contained, with many of its victims still in critical condition at nearby hospitals.
“It was haunting – I heard so many screams when I was running to the beeping alarm. It really fueled me to keep going,” says the 31-year-old. “Actually, when I first tried to shut it off, the button wasn’t working so I almost left. But then I heard those cries again and really took the time to take the batteries out, so those poor people didn’t have to listen to that awful noise in their last moments. I hope it gave them a sense of peace.”
The batteries from the detector appear to be unharmed, with Lisa reportedly donating them to a local charity collecting supplies for the victims of the fire.
While the town recovers from this horrific tragedy, town mayor Bill O’Shaughnessey has declared a week of official mourning, followed by a parade celebrating Lisa’s heroics.
“Obviously, we must pay our respects to everything we lost from this devastating fire,” says the mayor. “But I also want to celebrate the bravery and resilience of our town, and nothing embodies that more than our new local hero. Without her selfless actions, that damned alarm would’ve traumatized us all.”
Despite her newly found fame, Lisa remains humble, maintaining that she only did what any good citizen would do.
“When a fire happens, it’s human nature to immediately want to shut up the smoke detector. If given the chance, I would do it all over again!”
