15-Year-Old Smithtown Teen To Be Honored For Saving Family

SMITHTOWN, NY—A Smithtown teen will be honored by town leaders for saving her family from a recent house fire. Hailee Hurtado, 15, was in her home when she detected smoke early Friday morning. Without hesitation, she quickly jumped into action to make sure her family safely escaped.

This Monday, Smithtown officials, the Smithtown Fire Department and the Smithtown Children’s Foundation will present Hailee with an award for her heroic actions. The award ceremony will take place at the Smithtown Fire Department’s Main house, which is located at 100 Elm Ave. in Smithtown.

On Friday at about 2:30 a.m., Hailee smelled smoke in her Stuyvesant Lane home. She quickly alerted her sleeping father, Jonathan, who discovered a fire in the garage of their ranch home, fire officials said.

Her father woke up her mother and other daughter, while Hailee went to the lower level of the residence, where the fire originated, to get her elderly grandmother.

Hailee woke her grandmother up, who uses a cane, and assisted her out of bed and began guiding her toward the front door where she was met by her father. The two assisted the grandmother up the flight of stairs and outside. By the time the family exited the building, the garage was engulfed in fire and it was extending up the exterior to the upper level.

Firefighters who worked the scene said they were moved by Hailee's bravery and fast actions to get her family quickly out of the house. Crews said had she waited or hesitated to jump into action, it could have resulted in a much different outcome.

Inspired and motivated to help the Hurtado family, the Smithtown Fire Department Chief’s office reached out to Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, who has also enlisted the Smithtown Children’s Foundation to help honor Hailee.

"I have always been in awe of the way our first responders run into a burning building, but imagine the courage it took for this young lady to spring into action the way she did," Wehrheimsaid. "The Hurtado family has lost their home, their memories and keepsakes. But they still have each other. thanks to Hailee. It’s a privilege to be able to honor her in this fashion."

The Smithtown Children’s Foundation is currently assisting the family with getting back on its feet. Additionally, neighbors have taken to GoFundMe to help the family with expenses and temporary housing.

Residents wishing to help the Hurtado family can do so via: GoFundMe.com and Searching “Help the Hurtado Family.”

"We are so grateful for the outpouring of love, sympathy and support from our community and are especially blessed for our neighbors and the first responders who have helped us through this devastating time," Jonathan and Evelyn Hurtado said. "As you can only imagine, this has been very difficult and often times overwhelming. With this in mind, we’d respectfully ask for privacy, space and time so that we may care for our daughters and begin to put our home back together."