Attawapiskat's Jack Linklater Jr. earns bravery award

A 15-year-old from Attawapiskat is being honoured as the Junior Canadian Ranger of the Year in Ontario.

Jack Linklater Jr. earned the title because of his bravery during a house fire almost a year ago.

Linklater said it was on his birthday, on Aug. 2, when smoke and flames woke him from a nap. He called for the home's 16 residents to get out — but his two young nieces were left inside.

Linklater re-entered the burning house, broke down a locked door and carried them out.

He's not sure what enabled him to go into the burning building.

"That is a question I ask myself once in a while," he told CBC News.

"But I believe that was a gift to myself on that day."

He had to break down his nieces' locked bedroom door to get to them.

"I was holding one and one was running with me as I was bringing them out of the smoke, flames," he said.

"After I got them out, I collapsed and was rushed to the hospital."

Linklater was treated for smoke inhalation and recovered.

He said he and his family were living in former school portables since the fire, but have recently moved back into a real home

He said he'd like to be a firefighter like his father.