Family escapes fire at Macomb Township home

Cause of fire on Barbara Street still being investigated

MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Macomb Township family with twin 11-month-olds escaped an early-morning house fire with their lives, but have lost everything else.

Mike Petrilli said he knew something was wrong when the family's baby monitors started beeping around 4 a.m. because they had lost power. When he went to find out what happened, he saw the entire back of his home on fire. He and his wife raced to get their daughters and dogs to safety.

"It happened so fast. We were able to get them out real quick," he said.

Chief Bob Phillips said crews arrived to the home on Barbara Street within minutes.

"When they arrived, the second floor was pretty much fully engulfed. There was fire coming out of the windows on the second floor. The back side of the structure was fully involved, on the exterior and the interior," he said.

The family had only been living in the home since August, but they're just grateful to be alive.

"Very thankful. When it is all said and done, who cares? It is just a house," Petrilli said.

What caused the fire is still being investigated.

"We have some reports that the power went out they heard some noises, smelled something, there was some sort of explosion, but we don't have anything yet to tell us what that might have been," Phillips said. "There's no red flags or anything that appears suspicious at this time."

Monetary donations can be made to the family under the "Petrilli Family Fund" at any Comerica Bank. There is also an online donation page - click here.

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