WYOMING, Mich. — UPDATE: Wyoming Police say the child is rapidly improving and now in stable condition as of Monday morning. They identified the victim of the fire at David Lynn Walton, a 56-year-old Wyoming resident.
No foul play is suspected.
Original story: A 56-year-old man was killed and a 12-year-old was hospitalized after a Wyoming house was destroyed by a fire early Sunday morning.
Brian Bennett with the Wyoming Fire Department said they responded to several calls about the fire on 35th Street around 3 a.m.
There were six people inside the home, and Bennett said they were having difficulty getting out of the burning structure.
With assistance from both the Grand Rapids and Kentwood fire departments, crews were able to get everyone out. The 56-year-old man died as a result of the fire, and the child was transported to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Twenty-year-old Marissa Cooper was one of the family members inside the home. She said she woke up to her 12-year-old sister screaming in their room. Cooper said relatives inside the home broke open a window to try and escape. When she made it out of the home, she called 911.
According to Cooper, her family has found a stable place to reside in the community and has seen support from the community, like the local dollar store donating necessities like clothing.
There is no cause to the fire yet, Bennett said, but Michigan State Police is helping with the investigation. Bennett said it's possible the fire started on the porch.
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