MILWAUKEE — Small burn marks and soot still cover Dierre Hurz's hands from a fire that erupted at his home early Thursday morning near Grant Boulevard and North Avenue in Milwaukee.
The flames quickly spread on the second floor around 2:30 a.m., where neighbors like Roy Evans first spotted the blaze.
"The smoke and the flames were in the upper… upper part," Evans said.
Hurz said he didn't wait when he realized what was happening.
"Everybody was asleep. I was the only one up — me and my brother," Hurz said.
"I pulled my cousin out the back window… my other little cousins jumped off the top roof — we caught them… even our dog," Hurz said.
Four people had to be rescued from the scene, according to Milwaukee Fire Department officials. One person was taken to the hospital but is expected to survive.
Tragically, one man didn't survive the fire. Family members identified the victim as Willie Parker, who they said was sleeping when the fire broke out.
"He was a cool dude… cool guy, you know?" Hurz said.
Watch: Milwaukee man killed in house fire, family barely escapes blaze
Parker was an uncle who loved listening to his nephew's music and offering encouragement.
"He'd just say… keep your head up… keep moving… life's gonna go how it goes… C'est la vie," Hurz said.
With their home deemed uninhabitable, Hurz says the family will stay with relatives and friends while they figure out their next steps.
The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department.
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