Father wades through flames to rescue his daughters, GoFundMe below

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Dylan Lassiter

Earlier this month, one father risked his life to save his twin daughters as their house lit up in flames. On July 17, what appeared to be a normal trip to a gas station, down the street and back, would result in catastrophe. Detroit natives, Ray Lucas and ShiAnn Brown, were only at the store for about 15 minutes. They left their 18-month-old twin daughters, Malaysia and Milan, sleeping in the basement, with Lucas’ grandmother and niece just upstairs. As the couple arrived back after a short time, the two saw their house pluming with flames. Lucas told reporters, “The house was engulfed in smoke, I saw my mom and niece were standing at the door and they were frantic. Lucas explained his motivation to act, saying that “I just had to get my babies out. That’s all that was on my mind.” With no time to waste, the heroic father plunged into the smokey labyrinth in search of his daughters. He said that, “I really only found my babies due to my memory, just knowing where they were and knowing how to get to them.” Feeling his way through clouds of smoke, Lucas made it down to the basement in time to grab them. The smoke was so severe that using his hands to guide him was the only option. The fumes resulted in Lucas being blinded for three days after the event. The family’s recovery Doctors told the father he was lucky to still have his sight. Even luckier, his daughters made it out with their lives intact. Lucas suffered second- and third- degree burns to his arms, neck, and face. Malaysia received intensive care treatment for severe burns as well, for nearly three days. Their other daughter, Milan, was treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns. The family lost all of their possessions in the fire, not to mention their home. They have set up a GoFundMe that is well beyond their original goal, but everything helps. Lucas told reporters, “If anybody can support that’ll be great.”

Earlier this month, one father risked his life to save his twin daughters as their house lit up in flames.
On July 17, what appeared to be a normal trip to a gas station, down the street and back, would result in catastrophe.

Detroit natives, Ray Lucas and ShiAnn Brown, were only at the store for about 15 minutes. They left their 18-month-old twin daughters, Malaysia and Milan, sleeping in the basement, with Lucas’ grandmother and niece just upstairs.

As the couple arrived back after a short time, the two saw their house pluming with flames. Lucas told reporters, “The house was engulfed in smoke, I saw my mom and niece were standing at the door and they were frantic.

Lucas explained his motivation to act, saying that “I just had to get my babies out. That’s all that was on my mind.”
With no time to waste, the heroic father plunged into the smokey labyrinth in search of his daughters. He said that, “I really only found my babies due to my memory, just knowing where they were and knowing how to get to them.”

Feeling his way through clouds of smoke, Lucas made it down to the basement in time to grab them. The smoke was so severe that using his hands to guide him was the only option. The fumes resulted in Lucas being blinded for three days after the event.
The family’s recovery
Doctors told the father he was lucky to still have his sight. Even luckier, his daughters made it out with their lives intact.

Lucas suffered second- and third- degree burns to his arms, neck, and face.

Malaysia received intensive care treatment for severe burns as well, for nearly three days. Their other daughter, Milan, was treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns.

The family lost all of their possessions in the fire, not to mention their home. They have set up a GoFundMe that is well beyond their original goal, but everything helps.

Lucas told reporters, “If anybody can support that’ll be great.”

 

You may also like

Blog

Iran is already fighting the United States. Yemen’s Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia. North Korea is firing ballistic missiles again. And behind these flashpoints sit nuclear powers, military alliances and rival superpowers. None of this means World War III is inevitable, but the connections between these conflicts show how quickly a regional crisis could become something much larger.
A deadly Los Angeles bus crash had already killed two people when a second tragedy unfolded just blocks away. A news helicopter covering the first crash suddenly lost altitude and plunged from the sky, killing a reporter, her pilot and a man on the ground.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is putting a record $1.17 billion behind a problem that still affects thousands of Americans who once wore the uniform. The money will go to 680 organizations nationwide to help homeless Veterans and those at immediate risk of losing their homes. The funding comes after the VA housed 51,936 homeless Veterans in fiscal year 2025, its highest total in seven years.
About 90 sailors aboard the USS Kearsarge returned to Naval Station Norfolk after 10 days at sea, only to discover their cars had been towed. The vehicles had been left in a fenced lot near Pier 14 during a base concert, leaving sailors waiting for hours at the impound lot to get them back.
What started with cars spinning donuts in a Houston parking lot ended with a vehicle flipping repeatedly, one person dead, three hospitalized and firearms discovered inside. Five people were in the fleeing vehicle, most or all believed to be juveniles. But the biggest question remained unanswered: who was behind the wheel?

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers