Human Interest Parents Couldn't Smell Smoke from House Fire After Getting COVID — But Their Son, 2, Saved the Day A toddler alerted his parents after the fire broke out, allowing the family of seven to escape before their Texas home was destroyed By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Instagram Twitter Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as digital news writer, spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed to E! Online, HollywoodLife, Discover Los Angeles, Oscar.com and Hollywood.com. She appeared on air at AfterBuzz TV. She began her journalism career as an intern at Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in communications and received a Master's in journalism from the University of Southern California. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 28, 2022 02:36 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Brandon Dahl and family. Photo: Courtesy of Kayla Dahl A Texas toddler is being hailed as "a mini hero" after he warned his parents, who had lost their sense of smell after testing positive for COVID-19, of a fire that broke out at their home in Alvord, Texas. Around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, Brandon Dahl, 2, woke up his parents, alerting them of the impending danger with only a few words, according to ABC affiliate WFAA. "He tapped me on my feet in bed and was coughing and saying, 'Mama, hot. Mama, hot,' " Kayla Dahl told Good Morning America. "I turned around. I looked and all I saw was flames in the doorway." Courtesy of Kayla Dahl Thanks to Brandon, the family of seven was able to escape uninjured before their home was engulfed in flames, per WFAA. Their fire alarms, which were less than a year old, only went off once they were all outside. "He saved our entire family," Kayla told the outlet. "I mean, he's our little mini hero." "We had seconds," added dad Nathan, a volunteer firefighter. "It's nothing short of a miracle." Mich. Mom of 4 Runs into Burning Home to Rescue Her Kids: 'She Is an Absolute Hero' Dahl family home in Alvord, Texas, following the devastating fire. Courtesy of Kayla Dahl 9-Year-Old Girl Saves Family from Carbon Monoxide by Unlocking Dad's Phone with His Face to Call 911 Although the parents had practiced fire drills with their children in the past, Nathan and Kayla's lack of taste and smell — a common symptom of COVID-19 — made this emergency more difficult. "We were still recovering," Kayla, 28, told The Washington Post. The Dahls lost everything, including their vehicles, in the blaze, which they believe was caused by a gas heater in the room where Brandon was sleeping that night, according to the newspaper. They are currently staying with family. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer "It's going to be a long, hard road to get to be where we need to be and to replace those material items," Kayla told the Post. "But at the same time, if it wasn't for my son's guardian angel that morning, I don't know where we would be." A GoFundMe page set up for the family to help cover their immediate expenses has already surpassed its $5,000 goal. "We've had an extremely, extremely blessed outpour of love and support," Kayla told WFAA.