Wayland Boy Saw Smoke And Took Action — Now He's Hailed As Hero

WAYLAND, MA — If you still remember the advice "stop, drop and roll," local firefighters probably visited your classroom in elementary school to teach you about fire safety.

It was a visit from Wayland firefighters to Luke Canterbury's school that helped him guide his family through a potentially dangerous situation last year.

In December, the 10-year-old helped his mother, Marni Canterbury, add oil to an electrical generator in their home. But due to some bad advice, they added too much oil, which caused the machine to catch fire.

Luke was nearby when he spotted smoke coming from the generator. He alerted his mother, and she called 911. He then rallied his family to get them outside to a safe meeting point, which is exactly what he was taught in school. No one was injured during the incident.

"When [firefighters] arrived, he followed everything the chief asked and helped us secure our pets and adjacent areas in the house while I shut off the gas main," Marni Canterbury said recently.

For his quick thinking and bravery, Luke was recently named a junior firefighter by the Wayland Fire Department.

Wayland firefighter Lindsay Byrne, who helps bring the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) program into town schools, said Luke's experience underscores the importance of teaching young people about fire safety. As part of the program, local firefighters like Byrne visit elementary school classes — and also boy and girl scout troops, day care centers and senior homes — to teach young people how to create safety plans and about 911.

The SAFE classes can be fun — students in particular enjoy the "stop, drop and roll" demonstration — but they also teach students about there's a chain of events that can lead to more damaging fire incidents, Byrne said. In Luke's case, he did exactly what he was instructed to stop a worse outcome.

"We think [Luke's actions] potentially could've saved lives," she said.

It can be difficult to know how well the SAFE training works, Wayland fire Chief Neil McPherson said, because fire emergencies are relatively rare. But Luke's example shows young people are able to respond when danger strikes.

"To me, this helps validate the value of the programs we offer," McPherson said. "The learning that's taking place is going to serve these children for the rest of their life."