Dad Runs Into Burning Home To Save His Twin Daughters

EASTPOINTE, MI — Thousands of people have come to help a suburban Detroit dad and his family after he risked his own life running into a burning home to save his 18-month-old twin daughters.

More than $219,000 has been raised in a GoFundMe effort to help Ray Lucas, his girlfriend, Shi’Ann Brown, and their family find a new place to live as their Eastpointe home remains uninhabitable after the July 16 fire.

Lucas, “without hesitation,” ran into the “engulfed burning house through flames” to save the twins, Malaysia and Milan, the GoFundMe states. Lucas’ mother and niece were able to get themselves out of the home.

The dad was coming home from running a 15-minute errand when he saw the home burning, FOX-2 Detroit reported.

"I just knew I had to get my babies out," Lucas told the news station. "That's what went through my mind."

"You really couldn't see your hand in front of your face,” he added. “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 got the young girls out, but they both had to be treated in an intensive care unit due to smoke inhalation and second-degree burns. Lucas himself had bad injuries, the GoFundMe shows.

He told FOX-2 he was temporarily blind for three days and sustained burns on his arms. He can’t work at the moment due to his wounds, making the GoFundMe all the more vital.

The money raised as of Tuesday amounts to more than five times the effort’s original $40,000 goal.

“This man is a hero and I wish him and this family love and healing,” one person who donated wrote.

GoFundMe is a promotional partner of Patch.