Andover teens spot fire, save neighbors and their home

Two Andover teens recently helped saved their neighbors — and their 130-year-old house — from a potentially devastating fire.

The Dalton brothers — Ian, 14, and Graham, 17 — were on their way to their mother’s home Saturday around 3 p.m. when they saw a fire across the street, according to The Eagle-Tribune.

Ian ran to the door and alerted the couple inside about the flames, while Graham called 911, according to the paper.

“We were sitting playing Scrabble, and all of a sudden we had a ring at the front door, and there was a young boy there, and he said you’ve got a fire,” homeowner Fran O’Neil told Boston 25.

O’Neil and Ian ran up to the attic, where the smoke was already thick, according to the TV station. O’Neil tried to douse the flames with water.

“They saved our house. We love our house. And they saved our house. It’s been since 1889, so we would hate to see it go,” said Fran’s wife Pat, according to Boston 25.

Fire Chief Mike Mansfield told the Tribune that the house could have been seriously damaged, if not for the teens. Instead, firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly with minimal damage.

He said the fire started with a bathroom ceiling fan, according to the paper.

“When I talked to them, I told them how much we appreciated that they told the occupants about the fire and had the sense to call 911,” Mansfield told the Tribune. “Their quick action saved the house.”

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