TY WILSON
ABC ActionNews
Reprinted with Permission

TAMPA - Firefighter Eric Stokes got to meet the little girl he saved from a fire Monday.


"I've been waiting to meet her," said Stokes. "This is cool. I feel like I just had another child."

On Saturday, Stokes rescued Makayla Bryant from apartment 1512 at the North Boulevard Homes in Tampa.

A seven-year-boy started the blaze playing with a lighter.

The fire destroyed an entire building, causing $600,000 in damages.

When Stokes entered the room were Makayla was, flames and heavy smoke were everywhere.

"The conditions in there, in my opinion were not unsurvivable," said Stokes.

Makayla just grabbed onto his legs, he said.

"I wanted to thank him," Makayla's mother Brabina Baker said. "He and God saved me girls life, I wanted to thank him for that."

Makayla did suffer some smoke inhalation. Amazingly she did not get burned.