Dean Poling | The Valdosta Daily TimesChristopher Barnes, a 12-year-old Pine Grove Middle School sixth-grader, stands on the street where he alerted neighbors of a car fire.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — A 12-year-old is being hailed as a hero in his neighborhood after he jumped off of his school bus to warn his neighbors that their car was on fire.

Christopher Barnes Jr., a 12-year-old sixth grader at Pine Grove Middle School, had just boarded his school bus Friday morning in his family’s Wroxham Circle neighborhood.

The son of Chris and Kim Barnes and the oldest of five children, Christopher had awakened late and ran outside just in time to catch the bus.

The school bus driver mentioned a car on fire at a house near Christopher’s home.

Flames and smoke rose from the car, according to witness descriptions. The car was parked close to the neighbors’ house.

Christopher told the driver to stop the bus. The bus driver did. Christopher ran to the neighbor’s house.

He said he banged on the door. He yelled for his neighbors to call 911 but the neighbors did not answer the door.

Christopher ran home and told his mom to call 911.

She did.

The neighbors came outside. Firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze.

Christopher had reboarded his school bus and went to school. He went to football practice that afternoon.

His first question coming home, according to his mother: Was anyone hurt in the fire?

“Christopher is 12 years old and has an authentic heart and equally possesses that type character,” Kim Barnes said. “His father and I are so proud of him, as always. More importantly many of our neighbors have expressed their gratitude for him and his actions. We live in a great neighborhood and we have a close community.”

The Barnes family has lived in the neighborhood for eight years.

The neighbors with the car thanked Christopher with a gift card. Other neighbors have also rewarded Christopher’s efforts.

Jean and Randy Bowden sent Christopher a card and $20.

Jean Bowden said Christopher’s actions possibly saved her neighbors’ lives.

The neighbors “could very likely owe his quick action to the saving of their other vehicles for sure, which were on the driveway, including (a) truck and lawn service trailer which is his livelihood, plus their home. The car was parked close enough to the garage door to melt the siding on their home.

“With all of the bad news you hear and read, we thought Christopher deserved attention,” Jean Bowden said. “We are celebrating a wonderful, quick-thinking young man.”