BASKIN, La. (KTVE/KARD) -- Two elementary school teachers in Baskin are being praised for stopping a fire at the school that happened on Jan. 12.

In a video shared by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, you can see Lynzi Parker and Claire Wallace rushing into the teacher's lounge as soon as they saw a layer of smoke at the top of the ceiling over the A/C unit.

“I panicked. I didn't know what to do. This was my first time, so I actually went out looking for somebody else to help me through it,” 2nd grade teacher Lynzi Parker said.

Then, 1st grade teacher Claire Wallace stepped in to help stop the fire from spreading to the curtains.

“I knew the fire alarm was close to the door, and I didn’t know where the extinguisher was, but I just pulled it. I was looking around, and I saw it. I have never used one in my life.”

It was a team effort that helped prevent the worst from happening in a matter of seconds.

“Our team did a really good job by putting other teachers and all the kids out,” Parker explained. “I think we did all this in under a minute, putting the fire out, and evacuating the building.”

The Louisiana State Fire Marshall has recognized and thanked both teachers for their quick actions. The community says they are standing out as heroes.

“They are. They saved children's lives,” Baskin resident Weston Cunningham said. “I graduated from there, and it's an honor to know that I was taught by women who reacted that fast. They saved a lot of kids, and the school, on top of that.”

“It's great to know that our kids and the teachers know what to do, and they jump into action,” another resident, Sandra Punchard said. “They didn't have to second guess, obviously. They got right on it and saved the day.”

Baskin Elementary School principal Michael Young reflects on the importance of fire safety.

“Something like this has reinforced us on how important that kind of thing is. I can't imagine the real-life scenario has gone any smoother. To have the entire elementary building evacuated in less than a minute, from the time the alarm was pulled, it's amazing.”

The Louisiana State Fire Marshall urges citizens to practice an emergency action plan. If you would like to request fire extinguisher training, you can contact your local fire department. 

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