Texas family who lost sense of smell able to escape house fire

WACO, Texas — A Texas family who had lost their sense of smell because of the coronavirus was able to safely escape their home after it caught fire early Friday morning because of a family member not infected, investigators said.

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Bianca Rivera, 17, was not infected and could smell something burning around 2 a.m., KWTX reported.

“I started smelling burnt plastic and that’s when I got more alert and ran outside of my room and I couldn’t even pass the hallway because it was filled with so much smoke,” she said. “I knew I had to wake everyone up. I opened the back door and I got everyone out one by one.”

She was also able to get their four dogs out safely.

The home was completely engulfed in flames when Waco Fire Department arrived.

“I don’t really count myself as a hero,” she said. “I would just do whatever anyone else would do for their own family. I just wanted to get everyone else safe and alive that’s all I wanted. That’s all I wanted was to keep everyone alive.”

The family escaped with only the clothes on their back. They are staying at a motel while they try to find another place to live. The Red Cross is helping them.


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