Wilson Elementary School student Viviana Castilleja sports a fire jacket after alerting a family that their home was on fire. Credit: Courtesy of San Antonio Independent School District

The San Antonio Fire Department will honor a local 9-year-old next week for saving a family from a house fire.

San Antonio ISD student Viviana Castilleja was riding in the car on Edison Drive with her grandmother after a January 2024 fundraiser when she noticed smoke billowing from a passing house. 

Castilleja told her mother what she’d seen. The quick-acting pair then went to the home and knocked on the door until the residents answered and were informed that their chimney was on fire.

The residents evacuated, and Castilleja’s mother called 911.

The quick-acting Wilson Elementary student, who’s also in the school’s Talented & Gifted classes, will be honored for her bravery by the SAFD during a ceremony on Monday.

“If you see a fire, tell an adult immediately so they can call 911 and tell them to evacuate,” Castilleja said in a statement.

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...