It was a typical night at the Davidson home in New Tezwell, Tennessee, on December 8th. Chris and Nicole Davidson fed their three children dinner, sat up in bed and went to bed at 8:30 p.m.
Hours later, Nicole Davidson woke up to the smell of smoke. Within minutes, the family home was engulfed in flames – and 22-month-old Erin Davidson was trapped in her room.
While the couple managed to capture their 2-year-old sons, Elijah and Eli, who had been encouraged by the family for nearly a year, Erin’s bedroom caught fire.
“The smoke and fire was so thick that I had no way to get to it,” Chris the Davidson told CNN. “We went out the window to get to her, but there was nothing for me to get there. So I grabbed Ally, who went out the window and managed to grab her by her hair.”
“We can’t be more proud of Ellie,” Davidson said. “He did something an adult wouldn’t do.”
And he did it on time.
By the time 20 firefighters arrived at the scene, the flames had subsided. The next day, “nothing was left,” New Tezwell Fire Chief Josh Miracle told CNN.
“I thought I couldn’t do it, but then I said, ‘I got it, Dad.'” He told CNN. “I was scared, but I didn’t want my sister to die.”
Davidson has raised Eli 34 children, including Eli, and adopted two others – Erin and Elijah. Both Nicole and Chris Davidson are also former firefighters.
“We’ve lost everything we have,” Chris told Davidson. “Our whole life was in that building. All three of our cars were also damaged in the fire.”
“It’s devastating. We have nothing,” he said. “You weren’t as humble when you didn’t have your own underwear to wear.”
.
