ROCKFORD, Mich. — A Rockford man is burned badly after running into his home to save his kids during a house fire, according to family members.
The Rockford Fire Department tells FOX 17 a fire broke out at a home at 305 E. Main St. at 2:19 a.m. Saturday.
Danielle Aniszko, the homeowner's sister, told FOX 17 that her brother now is in the hospital.
"He had went back into the house thinking the kids were still in the house, so he panicked. He went back in looking for them. They had went out another door," Aniszko said. "The kids did what they had been taught to do if this happened, you know, to run across the street and wait for mom and dad. There was just some miscommunication. They came out and did what they're supposed to, but...they got moved down the sidewalk a little ways further from the fire, so when he came out and he didn't see them there, he panicked thinking they were still in the house."
She says his wife and kids are fine, but about 30% of her brother's body is covered in burns.
"They say he'll pull through but he's rough," Aniszko explained.
The Rockford Department of Public Safety Fire Services said he sustained "critical injuries."
It's not yet been determined how the fire started or how much damage it caused, but Aniszko says they lost everything and, "escaped with only their pj's."
"We don't know. I haven't heard if they've heard from their insurance company yet," Aniszko said.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.
"The neighborhood and this community are great," Aniszko said. "I'm just glad that this community is so great, that they're coming, surrounding him with love and, you know, helping them out when they need it."
A Rockford Department of Public Safety backhoe was called to the scene to assist with demolishing a portion of the structure to gain access to hot spots obstructed by debris and reduce the risk to nearby structures.
According to Rockford Public Safety, most of the fire was controlled within 45 minutes, but "due to structural instability caused by a partial collapse during suppression operations and harsh weather conditions, it took over four hours to fully extinguish the fire."
They said smoke detectors were responsible for alerting the residents and allowing them to escape.
A total of 31 firefighters battled the blaze, representing departments from not only Rockford but also Algoma, Cannon and Plainfield townships.
The Rockford Ambulance Service, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Public Services Department, Salvation Army, Consumers Energy and DTE also assisted at the scene.
