Boy killed in fire went inside to save brothers, grandma says. They were already safe

While flames engulfed a family’s home in Milwaukee, six adults and four kids were able to escape, the fire chief said at the scene, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

But one child, 12-year-old Adrian Cross, got trapped on the second floor, FOX6 reported.

“He went in to get his brothers,” Adrian’s grandmother, June Cross, told the station. “That’s what he was trying to do.”

Adrian did not know that his 10 family members had already been saved, FOX6 reported.

“All of a sudden, (his family) started screaming,” Cross said, according to the station.

When firefighters got to the scene at about 10 p.m. Monday, the first and second floors were already in flames, CBS58 reported. That was three minutes after the fire was first reported, according to WTMJ.

Firefighters learned a child could be stuck on the second floor, “so they made an aggressive push inside the home to find them,” CBS58 reported.

“They were encountering extreme heat at the top of those stairs,” Milwaukee Fire Department Deputy Chief Aaron Lipski said, according to CBS58. “They pushed forward anyway.”

Firefighters made it to the second floor, WITI reported, but the 12-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Last night we lost a Lil brave our grandson Lil Adrian,” June Cross posted to Facebook on Tuesday. “He try to save his Lil brothers in fire that took his life.

“It’s hurting the family right now,” she continued. “It’s just ... really close to your heart and we know the LORD has Him.”

The American Red Cross is helping Adrian’s family, the Journal Sentinel reported, and the fire is still under investigation.

Fire officials did not find working smoke detectors in the home, Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Mark Rohlfing said, according to the Journal Sentinel.