UA Little Rock Education Couple Helps Battle Neighborhood Fire

Molly and Hudson Trusty had just picked up their caps and gowns at GradFest at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on March 19 when they saw thick smoke rising from the Point O’Woods neighborhood near University Avenue.

Within minutes, the married UA Little Rock seniors found themselves banging on doors, jumping fences, and fighting a fire that was threatening multiple homes.

“We quickly found where the smoke was coming from and how bad it really was. Our hearts sank when we realized there was no one there to help except us and a few neighbors,” Molly Trusty said. “We called 911, and they literally said they didn’t know when a fire truck could get to us. I was so scared, and I knew we had to do everything we possibly could in that moment, and it had to be done fast.”

With emergency responders delayed due to an outbreak of dozens of fires caused by high winds across Central Arkansas, the Trustys sprang into action. They rushed through backyards, warned homeowners, grabbed garden hoses off porches, and worked alongside neighbors to battle flames spreading through at least four properties.

“We were just banging on doors, getting people out, and jumping fences to get to the houses,” Hudson Trusty said, who later discovered he had poison ivy from running through thick brush in the process.

Molly described the scene as something out of a movie, with flames engulfing fences and creeping dangerously close.

“I haven’t been that out of breath in a long time,” she said. “The main fire was like an L shape, affecting four backyards all at once. That was the main area we were tackling.”

The Trustys, both senior education majors from Benton, are learning how to become outstanding educators together by participating in an innovative teacher residency where they spend the entire academic year in the same classroom with experienced teacher mentors. They are completing their residencies together at Forest Heights STEM Academy in Little Rock with Molly in kindergarten and Hudson in third grade.

Their experience in the classroom has prepared them for handling high-pressure situations, but the fire was unlike anything they had ever faced. Still, Molly said she wouldn’t hesitate to help again.

“Never be afraid to help others. ‘Even if you are scared, do it scared.’ That is one of my favorite inspirational quotes,” she said. “Life is short, and I am so glad we were in the right place at the right time to help save some families from a lot of destruction.”