Quick-Thinking 10-Year-Old Saves Family From Staten Island Fire

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A family from Staten Island was counting their blessings after a fire that could have been fatal.

As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, a quick-thinking 10-year-old sprang into action as flames raced through the home on Monday morning.

Julia Galante said her best friend Gabby is a hero.

"I think she's a very brave young girl, and I feel really proud for her," she said.

Gabby was inside her room when she smelled smoke, before the alarms detected it.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, the house is on fire!'" Gabby Serpico said.

Gabby ran to a bedroom down the hall to wake up her sleeping 17-year-old brother.

"I said, 'Get up, the house is on fire!'" she said.

Gabby said she and her brother had to run down the stairs through all of the smoke and passed the laundry room where they think the fire started.

The house was badly damaged in the fire with siding melting off in gobs. The blaze left blades on an outdoor fan hanging limp, and the washer and dryer are now shells of machinery.

Richard Serpico said he was grateful that his children got out when they did.

"Very brave, very brave -- just thank god nobody got hurt," he said.

Richard said his daughter's heroic act is still sinking in.

"She's excited. She didn't really realize that she did anything special; she just went about her day," he said.

"As long as my pets and my family are safe I'm okay," Gabby said.

The family believes the cause of the fire was an electrical problem in the laundry room.