A seven-year-old boy is being praised for saving his younger sister's life after jumping into her room through a window in their burning home to rescue her from the fire.

As reported by CNN, it had been a typical night for the Davidson family of New Tazewell, Tennessee on December 8.

Chris and Nicole's three children were in bed by 8:30 pm. Hours later, however, Nicole woke up smelling smoke and just minutes later it emerged that their home was on fire.

"[Chris] grabbed the fire extinguisher trying to buy me time to get the kids, and I grabbed the boys because they were closest to the fire," said Nicole told WVLT.

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Terrifyingly, 22-month-old Erin was trapped in her room.

Chris and Nicole were able to bring two-year-old Elijah and seven-year-old Eli, their foster son, to safety - but Erin's bedroom was surrounded by flames.

"The smoke and fire was so thick there was no way I could get to her," Chris told CNN.

"We went outside to get to her from the window, but there was nothing for me to stand on to reach up there. So I picked up Eli, who went through the window and was able to grab her from her crib."

"We couldn't be more proud of Eli," he said. "He did something a grown man wouldn't do."

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When the team of firefighters arrived, the family's home was completely engulfed in the flames.

The following day, "nothing was left," New Tazewell Fire Chief Josh Miracle told CNN.

"I thought I couldn't do it, but then I said, 'I got her, dad,'" Eli told CNN. "I was scared, but I didn't want my sister to die."

Both Nicole and Chris are former firefighters themselves.

The pair have fostered 34 children, including Eli, and adopted two others - Erin and Elijah.

"We lost everything that we have ever had," Chris added. "Our entire lives were in that home. Our three cars were also damaged in the fire."

"It's devastating. We have nothing," he said. "You have never been as humble as you are when you don't even have your own underwear to wear."

Seven-year-old boy jumps back into burning building to save his little sister from fire