Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
In the early morning hours of February 9, 11-year-old Mario Sevilla sensed something was wrong at his house in Bartow. He awoke to see flames, and he jumped into action.
“I woke up and saw the fire,” he said. “I yelled for my mom and she told me to get out. She went out the other door.”
Sevilla, son of Jessica Acosta, rushed to get his two younger sisters safely out of the house.
While the sight of fire would scare some, Sevilla said he was able to stay calm and keep his wits about him.
“I tried to focus on my family – my sisters and my mom,” he said.
Although the Bartow-Frank-Durbin Volunteer Fire Department responded to the house fire, it was unable to save it and it burnt to the ground.
Sevilla was a fifth grade student at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, but after the fire, his family moved to Marlinton, so he is now attending Marlinton Elementary School where he said he is fitting in well.
GBEMS posted on its Facebook page several days after the fire that it was proud of Sevilla for his heroism and stated, “Mario Sevilla is an Eagle Hero! He awoke Thursday morning to his house being on fire. Mario woke his mom and younger sisters just in time for all four of them to escape safely. Our school motto is Eagles of Excellence: Academics, Behavior and Character. Mario is truly an Eagle of Excellence! We are proud of you, Mario! We love you and your family! We thank God all of you are safe and with us!”
Sevilla is now a MES Timberwolf but, more importantly, he is a hero.