He saves his neighbor from the flames after losing his family in a fire in 2001

Twenty years after losing his family in a fire, a man saved his neighbor from the flames that ravaged her house this Sunday in Rowley, Massachusetts (United States). Mark Collum was alerted by the cries of the victim in the early morning. He dressed hastily and didn’t hesitate to walk into the burning house, says WCVB, a local branch of CNN.

The one who is now considered a hero explained that he acted out of reflex. “I saw her move around in her kitchen. I grabbed her and took her outside. I had a little smoke in my lungs, just like her, ”he testified. Mark Collum congratulated himself that everything went well despite everything. Local authorities have not yet determined the source of the fire.

A man who lost his family in a fire 20 years ago is being hailed as a hero for saving his neighbor from a fire at her home. https://t.co/YhhraRZSoH

— CNN International (@cnni) September 7, 2021

He lost his wife and two daughters to a fire in 2001

In 2001, the American lived with his wife and their two daughters aged three years and five months in an apartment in Ipswich, in the same state. While he was away, a violent fire broke out in the accommodation. The rapid progression of the fire trapped the three occupants of the premises, stranded on the second floor.

The mother had thrown the youngest of her daughters out of the window in a desperate attempt to save her from the flames. Baby Carly succumbed to her injuries in hospital, reported AP at the time. His mother Lisa and sister Lindsay had also perished. Other occupants of the building had managed to escape in time, including family members of the victims.