Family, dog safe after GR house fire

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Everyone inside a Grand Rapids southeast side home that caught fire Sunday escaped safely, but the dramatic incident left a little boy in tears when he realized the family pet was still inside the burning structure.

The blaze broke out in the 1400 block of Kalamazoo Avenue around 6:30 p.m.

Dajen Applewhite said the fire started in an upstairs room.

"I plugged in the TV and then it started sparking, so I pulled it out and then it caught on to the bed and then everything started to get on fire," he said.

Applewhite sprung into action, doing the only thing he could think of at the time.

"I put some water on it, but it didn't stop," he recalled. "So then me and Nashen went to get our mom, and then our mom had to run upstairs and get our sister."

With the fire spreading, the family wasted no time in getting out. Some of the people who had been inside were checked for smoke inhalation, but no one was seriously hurt.

But something valuable was left behind: A pit bull puppy they just got yesterday. Dajen was left in tears as he feared the worst.

"But I don't know where she is," said Dajen. "They couldn't find her."

Firefighters worked quickly and put out the flames. Dajen's aunt, June Vander, provided comfort as they waited for word.

"He's a brave soul," said Vander of Dajen.

Then out of the ashes in the arms of a firefighter, the newest member of the family emerged. The puppy was visibly scared, but no worse for ware as she was reunited with the rest.

"I am very thankful, very thankful, because things can be replaced," said Vander.

The house sustained serious damage, but is not considered a total loss.

There is no official word yet from firefighters on what caused the blaze.

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24 Hour News 8's Leon Hendrix and Marc Thompson contributed to this report.