US city declares 12-year-old boy a hero for saving his family from house fire

Boy’s Virginia home town commends ‘remarkable heroism’ after he singlehandedly rescued grandmother and siblings

A city in Virginia has awarded a hero’s proclamation to a 12-year-old boy who rescued his grandmother and two younger siblings from a fire that burned their house down recently.

The courage that Ramir Parker demonstrated when confronted with the blaze “is a shining example of resilience, responsibility and the power of instinctive leadership in our youth”, said the proclamation that officials in Petersburg gave to the local seventh-grade student.