North Carolina teen rescues infant cousin from burning home

A North Carolina teen is being hailed a hero after he rescued his infant cousin from a burning building.

LJ Gray, a junior at Kinston High School, was outside with family members Tuesday when his grandmother noticed smoke coming from the home where his cousin was sleeping, Kinston Fire Rescue told WITN.

According to Captain William Barss, the teen ran into the home through the back door into the kitchen and to the adjacent room where his cousin, Michari Strayhorn, was located.

Gray attempted to escape through the back door but the fire and smoke were too intense so he turned and ran to the front door where he managed to make it out safe, Barss told WITN.

"As a firefighter were trained with all of the protective equipment that we have, the bunker pants, the coats the hoods, gloves, to go into these fires and were trained to know our limits," Captain Barss told the television station. "And this young man did it with even less than what an average person would be wearing on the street."

Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after the daring rescue.

Kinston Fire Rescue said the fire started from over-cooked food on the stove.

According to WITN, the family lost everything in the fire but Gray and his cousin had no injuries from the smoke or fire.