HE IS MORE THAN JUST A DAD. HE IS A HERO, ESPECIALLY IN THE EYES OF HIS FAMILY. VAN BUREN
TOWNSHIP FATHER WOKE UP IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND HE
FOUND OUT THAT HIS HOME WAS ON
FIRE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED
GETTING HIS FAMILY TO SAFETY AS
LOCAL FORCES. NICK MONACELLI
SHOWS US THE INTENSE MOMENTS
WHERE ALL CAPTURED ON
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO. THAT’S WHERE
FROM WHAT THEY’RE SAYING THE
FIRE STARTED. IT’S BEEN NEARLY
THREE WEEKS SINCE FIRE DESTROYED
TONY BURGESS VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP
HOME. AND HE CAN STILL WALK YOU
THROUGH EVERY SECOND OF IT. THIS
IS THE LIVING ROOM WHERE MY WIFE
WAS SLEEPING. IT WAS 1 30 IN THE
MORNING. HE’S ENTIRE FAMILY. A
WIFE, THREE KIDS AND NEPHEWS. A
FAMILY OF SEVEN ALL ASLEEP,
INCLUDING FOUR YEAR OLD CASEY.
JUST BORN UP THERE WHO, JUST
LIKE DADDY REMEMBERS EVERYTHING.
THE FIRE WAS SHOOTING ON THE WAY
TO THE TOP TO THE ROOF. TONY
SECURITY CAMERA ALSO RECORDED
EVERYTHING FROM THE MOMENT HIS
SMOKE DETECTOR STARTED WAKING
HIM UP, AND THAT’S WHEN I STOOD
UP, AND I REALIZED THAT I WAS
STANDING IN MY HEAD WAS STANDING
UP IN SMOKE. THAT’S WHEN I KNEW
I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT,
SO I RAN TO GET THE KIDS OUT AND
MY WIFE OUT. THEY HAD A CHAIN
LOCK ON IT. WHICH IS RIGHT HERE
, AND I COULDN’T FIGURE OUT
WHICH DIRECTION TO TAKE IT OFF.
YOU COULDN’T SEE I COULDN’T SEE.
YOU KNOW, I HAD. YOU KNOW, I’D
LIKE TO WHICH HERE THERE’S A
LIGHT DIRECTLY ABOVE ME THAT I
COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING. YEAH YOU
KNOW, FELL. AH GET OUTSIDE NOW.
ABSOLUTELY PANICKED. 100%
PANICKED. THE OUTSIDE SCREEN
DOOR. IT WAS DOCKED, AND SO I
HAD TO PUSH THROUGH IT WITH MY
SHOULDER TO JUST BREAK THE DOOR
DOWN A YES. SO TONY IS
FRANTICALLY FEVERISHLY TRYING TO
GET HIS FAMILY OUT OF THIS HOME
AS IT’S ON FIRE, WHICH IS OVER
THERE AND SPREADING TOWARDS THEM
. THEN HE GETS WHAT HE THOUGHT
WAS EVERYBODY OUT AND REALIZES
HIS YOUNGEST SON IS STILL INSIDE
. BUT BY NOW THE SMOKERS ALREADY
DOWN PAST HIS WAIST. OH, GO TO
THE STORE ON THE DOOR, OKAY, TRY
MOVING. THE OUTSIDE WAS ON HIS
BED WHEN I CAME IN TO GET HIM.
AND SO I CRAWLED THROUGH HERE
BECAUSE THE SMOKE HAD GOTTEN
DOWN TO WHERE I COULDN’T STAND
UP ANYMORE IN HERE. NO YEAH,
YEAH. YEAH. I JUST KNEW THAT. I
JUST HAD TO GET HIM OUT. THAT
WAS IT. YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T CARE
ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, AND NOTHING
ELSE MATTERS THAT POINT. THEY
JUST NEED TO GET OUT. RADIO YEAH
, EVERYBODY SAFE. ALL THEY COULD
DO WAS STAND BACK AND WATCH FIRE
. INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL TRYING
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED THIS
FIRE. WHAT THEY DO KNOW, THOUGH
, THE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS OR
WHAT SAVED THIS FAMILY FIRE
CHIEF DAVID MCNALLY SAYS IN FIRE
71% OF CHILD DEATHS HAPPENED
BETWEEN SIX PM AND SIX AM, WHEN
PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING AND FOUR
FATALITIES. THREE OUT OF FIVE
DID NOT HAVE WORKING SMOKE
ALARMS. THAT’S HOW HOT IT GOT IN
HERE. SO THIS THING SAVED YOUR
LIFE? YES IRONICALLY, TONY
DIDN’T HAVE WORKING ONES. UNTIL
RECENTLY. MY MOTHER BOUGHT THEM
FOR, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 15 20
YEARS AGO, AND THEY SAT AROUND
FOR ELITE MINIMUM FIVE YEARS
I’VE BEEN AROUND TOO LONG AND
SEEN ENOUGH FIRES WHERE PEOPLE
HAVE DIED, AND IF WE CAN PREVENT
IT, AND THIS IS PREVENTABLE. YOU
GOT TO DO IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THIS PRECIOUS
TO PROTECT. I WAS REALLY SCARED,
BUT BUT DADDY SAVED YOU. YES,
BUT I WAS SCARED WHEN I WAS IN
BED. PUT THE SMOKE TICKERS UP
NOW. MM HMM. GIVES YOU A CHANCE
TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY. YEAH. VAN