Fire caused extensive damage to an Arundel volunteer firefighter's apartment Saturday.
Dean Gilliam's girlfriend called him about the fire in Sanford and he attempted to control the fire with two extinguishers.
"Stayed as low as I could and tried to extinguish, but the smoke was so thick and black I couldn't really see and I just got overwhelmed," Gilliam told local television station WMTW.
His girlfriend, young daughter and mother escaped the fire and they said the smoke alarm never sounded.
The fire started when his mother fell asleep with a cigarette. She was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
"You feel sympathy for another homeowner when they lose their home and you're being that supportive person, but when it happens to you, you're like, 'Now I really know what it feels like,'" Gilliam said.
A GoFundMe account was established to raise funds for the family. They did not have renters insurance.
