BELLEVILLE, Mich. – A father and his two children lost everything early Saturday morning in a fire that tore through their mobile home community.
It happened at the Rawsonville Woods Community in Belleville, near Rawsonville and Willow Roads.
“At 3 something in the morning, we hear a loud knock and it was the officers telling us that the house next door is on fire,” said Jose Rivera.
That’s what Jose Rivera said they woke up to early Saturday morning. He was inside with his two little boys when his neighbor’s home caught on fire. A charred structure is the only thing left of that home. Police said it was unoccupied at the time.
The heat and flames were so intense that both Rivera and his other neighbor’s home on the other side also caught on fire.
“At that time, it was no point saving that home, so we concentrated on saving both homes on either side,’ said Sumpter Township Fire Deputy Chief Rick Brown.
Rivera said they had no time to grab anything, but to simply get out.
“We lost our cell phones, wallets -- everything was in the house,” Rivera said. “We just got out as fast as we can.”
They’re forced to start over, but they’re now looking at the bigger picture.
“I’m just glad that we got out in time. That’s all I can think of,” said Rivera. “Everything is replaceable, our lives aren’t.”
One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, but they are expected to be OK.
More: Belleville News