"It feels really surreal": New Jersey family shaken up after house fire injures grandparents, brother
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- A husband and wife who have been married for 50 years are fighting to survive after being badly burned in a house fire Monday night in Franklin Township, New Jersey.
The victims have been identified by family as Kathleen and John Klein and their grandson Joshua Klein-Parks, who tried to save their lives and was also hospitalized for his injuries.
Their family is "very shaken up. It feels really surreal," said Gwenevieve Klein-Parks, the couple's granddaughter.
It's been a challenging and emotional year for Gwenevieve Klein-Parks and her sister Sunshine Klein-Parks.
They lost their mother and uncle only months apart, and now these sisters are dealing with another tragedy.
"It's all very scary that we've lost so many family members in a short amount of time and now they're all in the hospital," said Sunshine Klein-Parks.
Her brother and grandparents were rescued by firefighters minutes after they say the wood stove in the living room caught fire around 9 p.m. Monday night.
Their brother tried putting the fire out with two fire extinguishers. Then he raced upstairs to help his 77-year-old grandfather as the flames spread.
"My brother was out on the roof, and they helped him get down, and they helped my grandfather get out, but my grandmother was still downstairs," Sunshine Klein-Parks said.
Firefighters say they rescued the 76-year-old woman after she fell and crawled to the front door.
She and her husband were airlifted to the hospital, and their grandson was taken by an ambulance.
Sunshine Klein-Parks said her brother kept apologizing in the hospital because he says all the family's Christmas presents were destroyed in the fire.
Investigators are still working to determine an exact cause of the fire.
This home has been in the family for decades and is likely a total loss, but both sisters said all they want is for everyone to be healthy and together for the holidays.
"He has 15% burns all over his body. My grandfather has 30% burns over his body and he's on a breathing tube right now," Sunshine Klein-Parks said.
Both grandparents were listed in critical condition.
But these sisters say their brother's quick thinking likely saved their lives.
"He's always been that type of person to take charge and try to help everybody else," Sunshine Klein-Parks said.
