Right after they'd climbed up to the second floor where the fire raged, Lieutenant Rob Rose and Firefighter Brett McVoy knew very quickly the situation was turning bad quickly. The fire was engulfing the building, with the firefighters still inside.

The two firefighters, who are also close friends, had to take drastic measures to escape the blaze. Rose says they made it to a back window that overlooked the rear entrance.

They both jumped out the window, and the roof below broke their fall.

Rose suffered only minor burns and returned to the scene, but McVoy was more severely injured. He was transferred to Kalamazoo's Bronson Methodist Hospital with second and third degree burns on his hands.

McVoy is now recovering and is in fair condition.

Cause Of The Fire

Fire Investigator Captain Russ Buysse says the fire was accidentally started by roofers using a blowtorch to seal a hole around the chimney, and was then fanned by high winds. He explained that the building was under renovation, meaning it was full of new timber. Once the fire reached the timber and the winds picked up, it started to burn out of control.

Damages to the building are still being calculated. The owner, an Illinois man, says he was converting the building so it would have apartments upstairs and a business on the main floor.

This story was reprinted with permission of WNDU-TV