A Detroit father is being hailed for his heroics and preventing what may have been a terrible tragedy for his family after he entered their burning home to rescue his 18-month-old twin daughters who were sleeping in the basement at the time of the fire.
In an interview with FOX 2, Ray Lucas said he was out running an errand with his girlfriend on July 17 when fire engulfed their Eastpointe home. Lucas, who said his mother and niece were also in the home when the fire started, revealed he and his girlfriend had been out for about 15 minutes, and they returned to see their home in flames.
“The house was engulfed in smoke, I saw my mom and my niece were standing at the door and they were frantic,” Lucas recalled. And though his mother and niece were safely outside, Lucas said his twin daughters Milan and Malaysia were still in the home as they were sleeping in the basement.
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“I just knew I had to get my babies out,” Lucas said. “That’s what went through my mind.” The father instinctively went into the burning home to rescue his daughters and he said he relied on his memory to pass through the flames to locate the girls.
“You really couldn’t see your hand in front of your face – I really only found my babies due to my memory, just knowing where they were and knowing how to get to them – just from having that same route,” Lucas said.
Lucas eventually managed to bring the girls out of the burning home but the twins and their father sustained various injuries. Malaysia sustained severe burns and her twin sister Milan also suffered second-degree burns and smoke inhalation. Both girls were admitted to the ICU of the hospital they were taken to.
“I was temporarily blind for three days and they said it was a miracle I could see,” Lucas said about his injuries. “I’ve got burns on my arms, but for the most part, everyone is still here.”
Lucas also said the fire may have been caused by a flooding incident the previous day. He added the fire destroyed a number of their possessions and the home is no longer habitable, FOX 2 reported. Besides that, the family man said their medical bills are also piling up.
To ease off their current financial burdens, the family set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds to “secure a new home” as well as purchase furniture and other supplies for the twins. The family also said some of the funds will “go towards medical bills and expenses.”
“If anybody can support that’ll be great,” Lucas said.
Over $100,000 has so far been raised, surpassing its $40,000 goal.
