Miami man breaks doors, windows to save wife and 3 kids from house fire

Monday, April 15, 2019
Florida rescues wife and three kids from smoldering house fire
The husband's heroic actions saved the lives of his wife and three kids, all under the age of 16.

MIAMI, Fla. -- A Miami man is being hailed as a hero after saving his wife and three children from a house fire.

Husband-turn-hero Darryl Manning's quick thinking and instincts saved the lives of his sleeping family after a fire ripped through their home on April 12, according to WSFN 7 News in Miami, via CNN.

After being awoken by his wife, Manning says he busted out the windows in a bedroom to allow her and his son safe passage to the outside. The quick spreading blaze created a number of obstacles as he raced to free his two daughters who were sleeping in another room.

The alert dad quickly woke them up then helped them descend from a window with the aid of a ladder. After the family was freed, he also tried to contain the flames using a garden hose while awaiting the fire department. He sustained a number of burns and bruises during the rescues.

"I lost a lot of blood," Manning said. "I got a lot of lacerations on my back. All over, really."

Officials told 7 News a bent air conditioning cord somehow ignite a couch on fire, sparking the blaze. The Red Cross is assisting the family until their home is habitable.

Injuries aside, Manning says he was just doing what fathers do and credits his wife for being the real hero.

"Any man who loves his family would've made the same moves," he told reporters. "If anyone is a hero, it's my wife. Because, if she doesn't wake me up. I don't think I would've woken up."