CHELSEA, Mich. --
A Chelsea firefighter said he was at work when he found out his home was in flames Sunday.
Firefighter Roger Chapman said he was spending the day at work while his family celebrated Mother's Day at his home.
Chapman and his colleagues rushed to the home where his wife and children were.
"When you pull up and you see your whole life in flames, it's a little different," Chapman said. "You really feel what it's like to have the shoe on the other foot."
Chapman's wife, Nikki Chapman, and their three children were inside the home at the time of the fire, Chapman said.
Nikki Chapman said if it was not for their 4-year-old son, they might not have made it out of the home safely.
"All I heard was my son screaming about 'There's a fire outside; I can't put it out, I can't put it out," Nikki Chapman said. "I didn't know what to do, and when I saw (Roger) pull up, I knew everything was going to be OK."
The Chelsea Fired Department fire chief said an electrical issue caused the fire. The home was completely lost to the fire, the chief said. The family's car was still buried under the rubble Monday.
"I don't care about the possessions, and I don't care about the structure; I just care about my family," Roger Chapman said.
Nikki Chapman said she was very thankful that her children escaped unharmed, but she was also sad to see the home destroyed.
"It was probably the best Mother's Day because my kids are OK, but also the worst," Nikki Chapman said.
She said she was able to recover her Mother's Day gift, which was a coffee mug with "Mom" on it.
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