Ebony Flentjar, 10, nominated for Pride of Australia award for saving life of her father Daniel

WHEN 10-year-old Ebony Flentjar saw her father erupt in flames and desperately attempt to put himself out, she knew she had to act quickly to save his life.

WHEN 10-year-old Ebony Flentjar saw her father engulf in flames and desperately trying to put himself out, she knew she had to act quickly to save his life.

Ebony and her sister Jade, 7, were visiting their father, Daniel, who was deep-frying chips in a pot filled with oil when it caught alight on the stove.

Mr Flentjar rushed into the kitchen of his Parafield Gardens home to take the pot outside but spilt the oil on to his arms, further igniting the fire, and resulting in burns to almost a third of his body.

Ebony has been nominated for a Pride of Australia medal in the Child of Courage category after she alerted neighbours, who called an ambulance, to her father’s desperate predicament.

She remained strong and calm by reassuring her younger sister as their father’s neighbour — a stranger to the pair — looked after them while Mr Flentjar was rushed to hospital.

Ebony said she knew what to do having learnt about fire safety at school.

She said other children faced with similar situations should be brave and not feel scared about asking adults for help.

“I feel very happy and proud of myself and Jade because I was very scared and I did not like the feeling of my dad not being with me,” she said.

Mr Flentjar said his daughters had displayed composure and maturity beyond their years by ensuring he received emergency treatment at a critical time.

“I don’t know what I would have done if they were not there. I don’t know how I would have got out the house,” he said.

“They didn’t really want to leave me at first but they had to help me get out.

“I’m immensely proud of them. They both gave me a card in hospital saying I was their hero but I wrote them both cards saying they were my heroes.”

Mr Flentjar, who had to roll on the ground to put himself out, spent three weeks in the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s burns unit and said he would not make a full recovery.

“I will never be able to move the same ... if it (the skin) doesn’t grow back it’s not all that bad, I’ll just keep going,” he said.