Grandfather, grandson injured in house fire in Mill Creek, Del.

MILL CREEK, Del. (WPVI) -- A grandfather and his grandson were rushed to the hospital after a house fire in New Castle County on Thursday morning.

The fire broke out around 9 a.m. at a home on the corner of Hutchison Road and Evelyn Drive in the Dunlinden Acres neighborhood in Mill Creek, Delaware.

When firefighters arrived, they were met with heavy smoke and flames on the first floor and had difficulty entering through the front door.

Mill Creek Assistant Fire Chief Brian Pollack said the conditions inside the home made it challenging for crews to reach the victims.

Neighbors tell Action News the family was renovating the home.

Officials said the 79-year-old grandfather was trapped in the home and rescued out of the back door.

"Due to some of the conditions in the house with the fire and smoke, it made it a little challenging for crews to get to the front door to the residents. The victim was removed out of the backside of the house," Pollack said.

He suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was taken to Christiana Hospital in critical condition.

His 10-year-old grandson, who was on the front steps suffering from smoke inhalation when crews arrived, told firefighters his grandfather was still inside. The boy was taken for treatment and is in stable condition.

Authorities said four people live in the home, but only the grandfather and grandson were inside at the time of the fire.

Unfortunately, the family's dog died in the fire.

The Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire.