Delaware Teenager Stays up Watching Netflix, Saves Family's Lives by Discovering Fire

The Flash saves lives in Central City, but a Delaware teenager binge-watching the superhero on Netflix was a real-life hero by saving his family from a fire.

Damir Carter, 13, stayed up late Tuesday night to keep watching The Flash on Netflix against his mother's wishes. He was supposed to go to bed at 9:30 p.m., but stayed up to watch the show on his phone until 1 a.m. Suddenly, he heard things breaking and first thought it was the family cat playing in the bathroom. He later saw smoke in the hallway and noticed the fire.

"I went to get up to check on her and then I saw smoke in my hallway and then I saw the fire," Carter told NBC Philadelphia.

Carter started yelling for his parents, waking up his mother. They helped get their pets out of their trailer home. Unfortunately, they could not save four dogs, a cat and three bearded dragons. Carter's father was not home at the time.

"If he was not awake I don't know the outcome because as soon as I had found out it was about four minutes and my kitchen was in flames," Carter's mom, Angela Borden, told NBC Philadelphia.

Authorities said the fire started after a power strip with too many electronics plugged in overheated.

Borden said she was happy that she and Carter were safe, even though they lost some of their possessions. She also said Carter will not face any punishment for disobeying his mom.

"He didn't get grounded this time," Borden said.

About four years ago, Borden said her family's old home was also destroyed in a fire.

While Netflix could be credited with saving lives in this case, some fans have reportedly been trying to imitate the characters in the movie Bird Box, which is dangerous.

In the film, Sandra Bullock and other actors have to wear blindfolds to get around in dangerous terrain to save themselves from unseen monsters. Netflix even had to issue a warning after video of a blindfolded person falling down a subway stairwell surfaced on Twitter.

"Can't believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE," the message from the streaming service read. "We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes."

New episodes of The Flash air on The CW Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

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