8-month-old baby killed in house fire on Detroit's east side, passerby tried to rescue him

DETROIT (WXYZ) - A baby not even 8 months old dies in a fire on the city’s east side. Investigators say it was likely an accident, but an illegal power hook-up could have played a role.

According to family and witnesses Coby Johnson was in the home with an uncle, a stepmother and four other kids, all three and under. The flames somehow ignited in the upstairs where the kids were playing.

An uncle who was at home at the time of the fire tells Action News he was able to get the other kids out but Coby was beyond his reach.

“I was in the next room downstairs and all I heard was, ‘the baby, the baby’ and the next thing you know I ran out of the room, went upstairs. There was too much smoke,” said Chris Williams, Coby’s uncle.

A passerby says she saw the fire from the street and jumped into action. She could hear the baby screaming.

“We were using blankets to cover each other and keep the smoke and fire off of us. And we couldn’t save that baby. You could hear the baby crying,” said a woman who did not want to be identified.

Investigators determined the fire was accidental but could not figure out a definitive cause. We are told there was an electrical radiator upstairs where the kids were playing.