10-year-old girl saves her family from burning home in Valley Stream, Nassau County

VALLEY STREAM, Long Island (WABC) -- A young hero's quick-thinking helped save her family from a fast moving fire in Nassau County.

"I feel like my nose was bleeding, but I check it and then felt and it's not and I can't see because it is really dark," said Diana Lovares, fire hero.

Sounding much older than her 10 years, Diana calmly tells the story of how she saved her family and one person upstairs in their Valley Stream home, when the smell of smoke woke her at 6:30 a.m. Monday. She told her mom first.

"She tells us the house is on fire and we have to get out right away," Diana said.

"How proud of her are you?" Eyewitness News Anchor Michelle Charlesworth said.

"So proud. She is, she always does a lot of nice things," said Alex Lovares, Diana's father.

Her father had left for work, as always, an hour earlier at 5:30 a.m.

"The fire department says she was so calm and cool headed!" Charlesworth said.

"Yes, we always try to give her advice to handle any situation," Alex said.

As Diana looked around at the damage, she said it was so very hard to see. She has lived there most of her life, six years.

"I think it is really sad. We tried our best always to make this look the best and then it tears apart," Diana said.

"What is your reaction to being called a hero? Proud of yourself?" Charlesworth said.

"Yes. Just glad we all got out and nobody got hurt," Diana said.