TWIN LAKES, Wis. — A Coast Guard veteran reached out to TMJ4 after a devastating house fire in Twin Lakes left him with nowhere to go and with smoke inhalation injuries.
James Champagne barely escaped the Saturday night blaze that destroyed his home and killed his cat. He was in the shower when his roommate's screams alerted him to the danger.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | One injured during house fire Saturday night in Twin Lakes
"That's when my roommate started screaming, 'There's a fire. Get out of the house. Get out of the house.' So I jumped out of the shower, and it was just above, above here. You could not see anything, pitch black smoke," Champagne said.
The flames had already begun consuming the structure by the time he made his escape.
"There was already flames shooting out of that door. Three foot of flames," Champagne said.
TMJ4 spoke with Champagne briefly before he had to return to the hospital on Tuesday. He revealed he didn't have insurance coverage for the loss.
Once discharged from the hospital, Champagne faced the reality of having nowhere to go. Desperate for assistance, he had reached out to TMJ4 earlier in the day.
"I'm just making all the calls I can to see what help is out there, what I can do, you know? So I'm not out on the street," Champagne said.
Watch: TMJ4 helps veteran get temporary housing following Kenosha Co. fire
The Twin Lakes Fire Chief said no cause has been determined due to the extent of the damage. The fire remains under investigation by the Kenosha County Fire Investigation Task Force.
For Champagne, the overwhelming nature of his situation is just beginning to set in.
"You never can understand it until you get there. And I'm not even there yet, and I'm starting to feel like it," Champagne said. "Exhausted and overwhelmed."
TMJ4's Mike Beiermeister reached out to Ground Zero Veterans Outreach, a nonprofit organization based in Racine County. They were able to provide Champagne with temporary housing to help him get back on his feet.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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