It was a routine day for Leslie Bailey of Bailey Pest Control as he treated units of Camelot Apartments.

He heard a young woman screaming that her apartment was on fire and that her children were inside. He dropped his equipment, ran into the unit, grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the dryer vent fire.

He was taken to Athens-Limestone Hospital where he was treated for slight smoke inhalation.

Bailey hesitated to talk about his experience Friday afternoon.

“The mama is the real hero, more than I am,” he said, talking around his inhalation mask. “She opened the door and smoke came pouring out. She ran back in and got those babies out.”

Martha Chambers, manager of Camelot Apartments, identified the woman as Amber Hunt, who was staying at the apartment of her father-in-law, Daniel Hunt.

Chambers said the damage to the apartment was slight.

“There was no real damage or anything,” said Chambers. “The dryer vent plastic melted and caught on fire. I don’t know why people don’t use fire-retardant vents.”

Athens Fire Department Lt. Tony Kirk placed the damage to the wall around the vent at about $200.

Kirk said the two children in the apartment were not injured, but an infant was taken to the hospital for observation.