Two brothers from Quesnel, B.C., received Medals of Bravery from Canada’s Governor General on Friday.

Simon and Matt Gallant were recognized for rescuing twin toddlers from an apartment fire in Surrey in January 2011. The brothers were eating dinner when they heard a neighbour calling for help.

"That's when we went out into the hallway and noticed the smoke, and she turned to us and said , 'My babies are in there.' So Matt and I just ran in there and just started searching," Simon Gallant said.

Simon Gallant speaks to reporters outside the apartment where he and his brother rescued 20-month-old twin girls from a fire in Surrey, B.C., on January 5, 2011. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The brothers repeatedly went back into the smoke-filled apartment until they found the 20-month-old girls. One of the girls eventually died in hospital.

Gallant said that night still haunts him.

"Still a vivid memory, something that definitely sticks with ya."

But Gallant says he doesn't think of himself as a hero.

"Everyone seemed to think I'm a hero. So, I mean, with that many people telling me that, I guess just sorta gotta accept it," he said.

"It's not something I set out to do, so it's just sort of, I don't know, I guess odd. There wasn't much thought about it. You know, as soon as you hear that two little girls are in there, that's just what you gotta do."

The Gallant brothers, along with 44 others, were presented with Medals of Bravery at Rideau Hall in Ottawa this morning.