Swampscott honors its littlest hero

SWAMPSCOTT – On most weekdays, Victoria Pierro is a kindergartner in Hadley School teacher Mary Clain’s class. Friday, the 6-year-old was a hero praised and applauded by more than 100 people, including ranks of uniformed firefighters.The state’s top fire official and town Fire Chief Kevin Breen described to the crowd assembled in First Church Swampscott, Congregational how Pierro saved the lives of her parents and two older brothers last Dec. 2 after fire erupted in their Humphrey Street garage and continued into their home.Awakened by the absence of the familiar sound of her bedroom fan – short-circuited by the fire – Pierro went downstairs and woke up her mother even as the fire forced its way into the family’s home. Within seconds, said Breen, Pierro, her parents, Lori and Anthony, and brothers Christian and Nicholas were in “a winner-take-all, race against time” to flee their home ahead of the fire.”Anthony turned, looked over his shoulder, and saw fire rolling across the ceiling – the all-too-familiar sign of a flashover as the total destruction of their home commenced,” Breen said.The blaze destroyed the house and the family’s possessions but no one was hurt and the Pierros took up temporary residence in Anthony Pierro’s parents’ home in Marblehead. They are still living there, said Lori Pierro, but the family has definite plans to rebuild on the site of their former home.”We want to thank the community for all of their help food-wise, monetarily – the support from the town has been incredible,” she said.Town residents and state officials returned that thanks Friday by honoring Victoria Pierro as a “young hero” and giving her a T-shirt, sweatshirt, a red plastic hat with “fire chief” emblazoned on it and a doll which Pierro promptly named Rosie.”It’s really awesome,” she said.State Rep. Lori Ehrlich and state Sen. Thomas M. McGee awarded citations to Pierro with one praising her “quick-thinking bravery and heroism.””It’s not often heroism comes in such a pint-size package,” Ehrlich told the girl.State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said Pierro’s fast action to save her family in part reflected basic fire safety skills she and thousands of other Massachusetts children have been taught by teachers and firefighters visiting schools.Coan said the 20-year-old “Safe” fire education program has reduced fire deaths among children by 72 percent over that time period. He said 895 firefighters taught Safe skills last year to 271,000 Massachusetts children.Swampscott Fire Lt. Remo Zimbaldi and Lt. Sheila Scranton teach the program in town schools where Zimbaldi said teachers “welcome us with open arms.”The fire’s cause has been labeled electrical in origin. Lori Pierro said her family “has been adjusting to a new normal” as they regroup in the fire’s wake.”We’ll be OK,” she said.