Altavista, VA - Forrest Taylor is becoming somewhat of a national star. You may remember the Altavista fifth grader who encouraged his family to battle a brush fire Sunday. That fire is one of seven that happened over the weekend that officials are investigating as arsons. Now, the self-proclaimed future-firefighter is being rewarded for his efforts. Forrest Taylor may need to hire a publicist to handle his instant celebrity. Forrest Taylor, Helped Fight Brush Fire - "It's too much." This time, he's got an interview with CNN Headline News. Forrest - "We called 911, I took some pictures, and then we tried to battle the flames." Chuck Roberts, CNN Headline News -  "If you hadn't have been there and called for help, what do you think might have happened?" Forrest - "It might've got like way big" In this video Forrest shot of the fire, you can see his family using rolled up t-shirts to snuff out the flames. You may have seen his story on our air, or read about Forrest in the local newspaper, but his fame doesn't end there. Forrest - "And our principal said over the intercom, "Thanks to me... thanks to Forrest Taylor for putting out a fire." The brush fires aren't the first time that Forrest has helped put out a fire. In January the Taylors' furnace underneath their home caught fire, filling their entire house with smoke. Forrest sprang right into action. Kim Taylor, Forrest's Mother - "The firemen got there, and he was calm collected, and he and his father were talking to them, and I was being treated for smoke inhalation and he was over there trying to calm me down." NASCAR (web | news) truck Series racer Stacy Compton sure is happy about Forrest's efforts. Compton owns the land Forrest's family kept from burning to a crisp. To say thanks, he's giving the Taylors race tickets. Stacy Compton, NASCAR Truck Series Driver - "Kids get bad wraps right now, and there is a lot of good kids out there. And I think what he did is pretty cool." Forrest is gracious, but says he doesn't need free stuff, or fame to do the right thing. Investigators are still looking for whoever started those fires. The Virginia Department of Forestry is offering a two-thousand dollar reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of the person who started them.

 

 

Compton, the land's owner, came to town Monday to thank the young boy and his brother and father for their quick action, citing it as a key factor in preventing the fire from causing even further damage.  The mayor of Altavista and a local Boy Scouts leader also came to show their admiration for the boy.  Compton called the boy's actions a good example for both adults and children.