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'Jump, then move away from the house' | Charlotte family's escape plan may have saved eight lives

Eight children, including a 3-month-old baby, were able to escape without major injuries when their home went up in flames early Friday. They all made it out due to a previously arranged escape plan.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One Charlotte family is thankful they had a plan after a house fire tore through their east Charlotte home Friday morning.

The mother believes the fire started between 2 and 2:15 a.m. 

"My son was with a friend of his," she said. "They were coming back down the street, he noticed the smoke alarms." 

Seven of her children and her three-month-old grandchild were all inside. She was not home, but thankfully her oldest son remembered the escape plan the family had made.

"When he ran in the house it was all smoky," she said. 

The mother said the children jumped out of a second-story window.

"The kids jumped out of the upstairs window," she said. "That was our escape plan."

The National Fire Protection Association provides multiple ways for families to make escape plans. Among the tips, the NFPA encourages families to draw a map of their home with all the doors and windows and know at least two ways out of any given room.

The NFPA recommends practicing the escape with fire drills twice a year, both at night and during the day. Parents are encouraged to teach kids how to escape on their own in case they aren't able to help.

For this east Charlotte mom, doing just that might have saved her children's lives.

"I've always told them it's not that far down, just jump," she said. "Jump and get away from the house."

Because of that plan, they all made it out of the burning home. The 3-month-old grandchild suffered a minor burn and was taken to a hospital, firefighters said.

Credit: Charlotte Fire Department

Many people have heard the phrase "stop, drop and roll" since childhood. The NFPA says if you hear a smoke alarm, get low and go, then stay outside once you've made it out. 

Credit: Charlotte Fire Department

According to the Charlotte Fire Department, the fire was intentionally set. The property loss was valued at $151,000, officials say. According to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, no one has been charged in the arson investigation. 

The mom said she's thankful her family had a plan and were able to use it.

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