Teen helps family get out of burning house, mother says there were no working smoke detectors

DETROIT (WXYZ) - There were no working smoke detectors in the Palmer family's east side home when a fire in a vacant house next door quickly spread to their home. Thankfully, 15-year-old De'Monte Palmer woke up and was able to help get his parents out to safety.

Standing near the home that he grew up in that is now destroyed, De'Monte told 7 Action News, "I'm just thankful."

De'Monte's mother says they intended to put smoke detectors up in their house on McDougall Street near East Warren Avenue, but never did.

Dewayne Palmer, 20, says he was sleeping downstairs and had just woken up when his younger brother was running down the stairs with their parents.

The fire started in the vacant house around 4:00 a.m. Thursday. It then spread to the Palmer's home and the home where Armel Pruitt lived with his father and their dog. Their home was also destroyed, but everyone managed to get out without injury.

The Red Cross is helping both families with food, clothing and temporary shelter.