A London boy who rescued his twin brother from under a burning couch is receiving provincial recognition for his heroics.
Nigel Hocking will be awarded a Fire Safety Action Award from the Ontario Fire Marshal at a ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday.
"He's very nervous. He doesn't know what to expect and I don't think he wants to be the centre of attention," says Nigel's father, Gordon Hocking.
The 12-year-old and his twin brother George were building a fort using a couch, chairs, quilts, pillows, and cushions at their home on Camrose Court on November 7, 2015 when a spark from a lamp ignited the couch.
As the fire intensified, Nigel lifted the couch off of George, who was trapped underneath. The boys told their parents about the blaze, then ran to the family's prearranged meeting place outside of the home. London fire crews arrived shortly after and doused the flames.
Gordon believes had it not been for Nigel's selfless actions, George could have been severely burned.
"To be curled up in a ball with a couch on top of you, he (George) didn't have the strength to lift it up," says Gordon. "There is no way he would have been able to get out otherwise. Nigel did the right thing. Instead of running to get us he lifted this burning couch off of George."
Gordon says Nigel is very modest about his part in saving his brother.
"He said 'Dad, it wasn't that big of a fire' and I said 'listen, if you didn't lift it up, it would have been a lot worse.' It didn't take long to go from a little fire to a big fire," says Gordon.
Fire officials credit the family for having an escape plan in place and practicing home fire drills. They say the Hocking family's response to the fire was a textbook example of how to react and what actions to take.
Gordon says he couldn't be prouder of Nigel but doesn't think his son will be pursuing a career as a firefighter.
"Initially he said he didn't want to see another fire," says Gordon. "So I don't think he wants to be a firefighter but I think he has a new respect for how quickly fires can grow."