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Boy Scout Honored For Helping Put Out Fire In Round Lake Beach

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. (CBS) -- A Round Lake Beach teen has been honored for his quick thinking when a fire broke out in his neighborhood.

As WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports, on March 30, Boy Scout Samuel Dummer, 15, saw something strange at his neighbor's house. Thick smoke and ash were engulfing his porch.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding reports

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"And there was brush all around us burning, and the side of the house, because it had caught the side of the house on fire now," Dummer said.

When he realized what was happening, Dummer remembered what he had learned in Boy Scouts, and quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher from his own home.

"OK, I've got to get a fire extinguisher. I've got to hurry up, because the fire alarm is going off, bells and whistles, and you know, you've just got to go; your adrenaline kicks in," Dummer said.

Dummer also called out to another neighbor and asked her to call 911.

Dummer use the fire extinguishers helped his neighbor put out the fire on the side of the house, on the back patio and near a tool shed. He was awarded the National Certificate of Merit for his quick thinking.

Fire officials say if Dummer had not been there to help his neighbor, there could have been injuries and significantly more damage.

Dummer is a Boy Scout in Troop 87, chartered by Millburn Congregational United Church of Christ in Lake Villa. He is also a student at Grayslake North High School.

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