LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy who was the only person to escape a house fire that killed his family and his friend says his father died while saving his life.
Madison Martin said his father, Charles, kicked down a bedroom door to rescue him from the fire early Thursday morning, but collapsed after bursting into his room, according to the boy's grandmother, Victoria Carter.
Madison's 6-year-old brother, Harrison, and their friend Andy Liu, 10, of Irvine, Calif., also were in the bedroom, but they may have been overcome by smoke before Charles Martin tried to wake them, Carter said.
Charles Martin and his wife, Melissa, also died in the fire in northwest Las Vegas. Police on Friday said they believe it was started by an unattended candle.
``I've lost my family,'' Carter told the Las Vegas Sun. ``I do not know what I am going to do.''
The boy was released from University Medical Center on Thursday after being treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
Clark County fire spokesman Bob Leinbach said the initial fire investigation was consistent with the boy's account.
