CRYSTAL, N.D. — Ten-year-old Kassidee Gallaway wears a "hero" diamond necklace around her neck. It was donated by Helzberg Diamonds in Grand Forks to always remind her of Jan. 20, 2021.
"I was thinking we weren't going to make it out," Kassidee said.
It was just after 6 a.m. Jan. 20 when the family cat, Sage, began pawing at Kassidee's face, waking her up. She noticed something did not seem right.
"It smelled like burnt pizza. It was really hot in my room. I couldn't breathe and I went out to get my breath," Kassidee said.
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Her house was on fire. She quickly ran to wake up her parents and her brother.
"I don't think any of us would be here," said stepdad Cody Saiger.
He also said Kassidee remembered opening a door could fuel a fire. She waited until everyone was at the front door to get out.
"When the front door was open, all the windows blew out and the fire took off," Saiger said.
The family is safe. However, they lost everything in the fire.
"She stayed calm, a lot more than me," said Kassidee's mom, Charlotte Reilly.
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"(We're) lucky we had her when we did for the short time we did," Reilly said.
Sage died a hero. The Hoople Fire Department, who battled the flames that morning, gave the family an honorary helmet to make sure Sage would never be forgotten. Sage was buried over the weekend with full honors from both fire departments.
Firefighters also wrote a card to honor Sage.
Part of it read, "She was truly one of us by getting you and your family out in time. Never forget your furry friend and our hero Sage."
A GoFundMe site has been set up for the family. There is also a benefit supper Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Gardar Town Hall.
