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City recognizes Serenity fire heroes

Posted by Dale Liesch | May 27, 2020 | Bay Briefs | 0 |

Quinn Parrish saw the face of his late grandmother when he made the decision to alert residents of Serenity Apartments their homes were engulfed in flames. 

“I saw her face,” he said. “I was just helping here. I wanted to do anything to help.” 

Parrish, Demarcus Battles, Ronald Godwin and Harold Sykes were honored by the city at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the City Council for saving 20 people from the three-alarm fire at 557 Azalea Road on Wednesday, May 20. 

When the fire that destroyed eight units and damaged more initially started, many residents who were home were unaware. The four men knocked on doors to alert residents and broke windows to save them, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD) Chief Mark Sealy told councilors. As a result, he said, no injuries or deaths were reported. The fire displaced 16 families, Sealy said. 

MFRD Public Information Officer Steven Millhouse said it’s “very, very rare” for civilians to take the actions these four did. Their actions helped more than 100 MFRD personnel better respond to the large blaze at the scene. 

“It’s very rare to see that,” he said. “Thankfully, they were able to help before we got on scene.” 

Godwin, the maintenance supervisor for Serenity Apartments, said he sprung to action when he saw the smoke. At first, he and the others grabbed fire extinguishers, but when they were ineffective against the flames, the group decided to warn residents. 

“I’m just humble and thankful everybody made it out,” Godwin said. “That’s all I cared about.” 

In his statement to councilors, Sealy said he was giving the men lifesaving awards from MFRD. He called their actions “brave” and “good-hearted.” 

Battles thanked everyone and acknowledged that “a lot of stuff happened.” 

“I just took action and helped,” he said. 

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson thanked the men on behalf of the city’s residents. 

“All Mobilians should be grateful for what they did, not just the families of those they saved,” he said. “Thank you so much for what you did.” 

Jennifer Wright also honored the four men at the council meeting. She told councilors that the men helped save her aunt and her aunt’s grandchildren from the fire. 

 

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About The Author

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch has been a reporter at Lagniappe since February 2014. He covers all aspects of the city of Mobile, including the mayor, City Council, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners, GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico and others. He studied journalism at The University of Alabama and graduated in 2007. He came to Lagniappe, after several years in the newspaper industry. He achieved the position of news editor at The Alexander City Outlook before moving to Virginia and then subsequently moving back a few years later. He has a number of Alabama and Virginia Press association awards to his name. He grew up in the wilderness of Baldwin County, among several different varieties of animals including: dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, a horse and an angry goat. He now lives in the Oakleigh neighborhood of Mobile with his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Joan. The family currently has no goats, angry or otherwise, but is ruled by the whims of two very energetic dogs.

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