Dearborn man rescued from "fully engulfed" burning home, dies from injuries

DEARBORN (WWJ) Dearborn man died in a house fire after he became trapped inside.

Dearborn fire officials said a neighbor called to report the fire, on Detroit Street at Pelham and Rotunda, on Monday around 7:30 a.m.

“Our crews encountered a heavily involved structure fire, with one victim possibly trapped inside,” Dearborn Fire Chief Joseph Murray said in a press conference posted by WXYZ-Channel 7. “…We immediately took action.”

The house was “fully engulfed” in flames when firefighters arrived, he said.

Firefighters found the victim in the back bedroom and worked “very hard” to extricate him from the house, according to Murray.

“Unfortunately, this house had a lot of content in it. A hoarder house,” Murray said during the presser. "...It was quite an effort to get him out."

About 25 firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire. Crews called for a third-alarm, but cancelled it because they brought the flames under control while waiting for the extra help to arrive.

According to Murray, two firefighters ran out of air while trying to save the man. A mayday was called. A Special Response Team entered the house and rescued one of the firefighters. The other escaped through a window.

“Both firefighters are fine,” Murray said, adding that one of the firefighters had minor burns.

According to Murray, fire crews did not report any working smoke detectors in the home.

The victim suffered severe burns, and passed away at the burn unit in Detroit Receiving Hospital.

His name and age have not been released.

The Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.