It was a typical night at Davidson’s home in New Tazewell, Tennessee, on December 8. Chris and Nicole Davidson fed dinner for their three children, put them to bed and slept at 8:30 pm.
Hours later, Nicole Davidson woke up with the smell of smoke. Within minutes, the family home was on fire – and 22-month-old Erin Davidson was trapped in her room.
While the couple managed to grab their son Elijah and Eli, 2, who has been adopted by the family for almost a year, Erin’s room was surrounded by fire.
“The smoke and fire were so thick that there was no way to get to it,” Chris Davidson told CNN. “We went out to pick her up by the window, but there was nothing I could lean on. So I caught Eli, who went through the window and managed to grab her from the crib.”
“We couldn’t be more proud of Eli,” said Davidson. “He did something that an adult man wouldn’t do.”
And he did it at the right time.
By the time 20 firefighters arrived at the scene, enveloped in flames. The next day, “there was nothing left,” Tazewell fire chief Josh Miracle told CNN.
“I thought I couldn’t do that, but I said, ‘I’m with her, Dad,'” Eli told CNN. “I was scared, but I didn’t want my sister to die.”
The Davidsons raised 34 children, including Eli, and adopted two others – Erin and Elijah. Nicole and Chris Davidson are also ex-firefighters.
“We lost everything we’ve ever had,” said Chris Davidson. “Our entire lives were in that house. Our three cars were also damaged in the fire.”
“It is devastating. We have nothing,” he said. “You were never as humble as you are when you didn’t even have your own underwear to wear.”