LACY LAKEVIEW, Texas — After the deadly apartment fire that killed three people and displaced dozens of others, survivors are meeting the young heroes and their families who rushed across the street to save their lives.
The Cordero family says they noticed flames while returning home from a birthday celebration.
“They were going to have to go somewhere," Phabian Cordero said.
"That fire isn’t a fire you can put out easily."
Their father, Roman, ran across the street to warn the residents — his brave sons followed.
“I didn’t want anybody to get hurt, that’s why I was helping them. Even though they lost their stuff — they came out alive,” Samuel Cordero said.
Apartment manager and survivor Tabitha Milam says the Cordero family warned her in the nick of time.
“I had gone to Walmart and actually just came in and set my stuff down. I turned around and little boys knocked on my door,” Milam said.
She saved her dog, but unfortunately other pets lost their lives in the fire.
“The lady who jumped was trying to tell her dogs to run, but the fire was there. They didn’t go anywhere. She was jumping and she was burned," Milam said.
Milam believes 11 animals lost their lives — including two cats and three service dogs.
She hopes the animals receive proper burials, and hopes the Cordero family gets recognized for their efforts during the tragedy.
The Lacy Lakeview Fire Department says they cannot confirm the number of animals who lost their lives due to the fire.