A disabled teenager who uses a wheelchair died in his first-floor bedroom on Detroit’s east side after a fire broke out early Sunday morning, Motor City Muckraker reports. His his sister and mother suffered injuries.
Firefighters responded to the home at Riad and Whittier around 3:30 a.m. and were able to rescue rescue the 52-year-old mother, reports Steve Neavling of Motor City Muckraker. The 16-year-old sister, who tried to save her brother, was found near a side door, Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell said.
The sister and mother were treated for smoke inhalation. The 14-year-old boy suffered severe burns and was pronounced dead at the scene.
On average, 400 people with physical disabilities die in house fires every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, the Muckraker reports.
