DETROIT – A woman on Detroit's east side said she's lucky to be alive after a house fire Friday morning.
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Detroit firefighters rescued four family members from the burning home on Wilshire Drive, near the intersection of Chalmers Street and Outer Drive.
"I am so happy when the pulled up when they did," Tiffany Epperson said. "I swear, I did not think were going to get out of the house. I didn't think we could leave. I thought we were going to die in there."
Epperson was pulled by fire crews from a second floor window of the home. Her mother and her younger sister were also rescued from upstairs.
Epperson's 59-year-old father was found unresponsive in the smoke downstairs.
"I was scared," Epperson said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."
Firefighters found Don Epperson and carried him from the building. He was rushed to a hospital and was listed in critical condition but is now stable. His daughter, Shanekquah Wilson, thought she was going to lose him.
"They took him off the ventilator (Saturday) and they've taken the balloon out of his throat to hold his airway open," Wilson said. "They took that out, too, and now he's breathing on his own."
The firefighters also worked for 20 minutes to revive the family's beloved dog. He was found next to Epperson but did not survive.
"Once he collapsed, he laid right there next to him," Wilson said. "He didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave his side."
The Eppersons' home was destroyed by the fire. The daughters can't go back to school Monday after losing all their clothes, shoes and supplies.
The family is still hopeful because they know the situation could have been much worse.
A GoFundMe account was set up to help the family rebuild their lives. You can donate here.