Corona teen honors firefighters who saved her in Utah

"They are the reason I’m alive now," said 15-year-old Brooklyn Mallett of Corona moments after the firefighters who saved her were honored for their bravery at Centennial High School in Corona on Friday night.

It was "Heroes Night." During the on-field halftime show, various members of local fire departments were honored for saving the courageous 15-year-old girl in Utah earlier this year.

Brooklyn’s dad, OC Fire Authority Capt. Mike Mallett, was among them. Brooklyn and her mom, Erica, were on the field too as the first responders’ names were called out.

This is a story FOX 11 has been covering extensively since the terrible, fiery accident last April. That’s when an off-road vehicle flipped on a remote road and caught fire, trapping several people inside. 

Eventually, everyone got out. But Brooklyn was trapped the longest and was the most severely injured. She was on fire as she was pulled from the burning wreckage. 

It was the quick-thinking of off-duty firefighters, all on vacation together, who saved Brooklyn and her friend Elena.

Brooklyn was burned over 40% of her body. During her three months in the hospital, she endured 16 operations, including skin grafts on her arms, legs and back. More procedures are still in her future.

But on this Friday night, it was all about heroes. And Brooklyn is one of them. Brooklyn stood on the football field with a big smile, taking in the festivities and thanking her rescuers. She is so brave and impressive in her upbeat attitude toward overcoming her injuries. And she’s determined to return to her beloved dance team next year. I will be there for that one too!