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Family Loses Home in 4th of July Fire

Posted at 6:07 PM, Jul 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-04 18:07:54-04

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich.--A massive fire in Holland Township early Wednesday morning leaving a family of six homeless this Fourth of July as their house nearly burned to the ground.

Neighbors saw the house go up in flames and many of them rushed to help the family of six get out of the burning building safely.

Randy Morris was one of the first people on the scene when this home went up in flames.

"I was out on the road and I heard on the scanner and I heard him call out the three fire departments so I knew it was going to be a big fire," says Randy Morris, witnessed the fire.

And it was.

In the early morning of the Fourth of July neighbors say they woke up to frantic knocks, huge flames, and smoke.

"It was panic for the people who live there, first of course, and then to make sure that the fire wasn't going to spread to anybody else," says Nicole Bounds, Neighbors.

Inside the home there were two children and four adults. Two of which were visiting from another country and one who is wheelchair bound. All of them trapped inside the home.

"I was worried about if anybody was inside the house but when I started walking up I heard banging on doors and yelling up for people to wake up," says Morris.

"As people were waking up and stuff they were coming out. I know my sister when she ran out she grabbed the kids who lived there and bought them into our house to get them away from the flames and just checking in with to make sure that they were, they were obviously not comfortable but that they were safe and as comfortable as they could be," Bounds says.

The Holland Township fire department saying the smoke detectors may have saved their lives.

"The residents were alerted by a smoke detector sounding and were able to exit the structure before it got too bad. So, they had smoke in the home and the smoke detectors detected, alerted them, woke them up and they were able to evacuate the building. So, again smoke detectors save lives," says Jim Kohsel, Holland Township Fire Chief.

At this time it is unknown what started the fire.

None of the family members were injured and neighbors say that the family is currently staying with relatives.