Fire survivor: Pray and stay strong

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A pastor is on life support and two men in his care are dead from an early morning fire on Thursday that swept through their home on East Delavan.

As flames shot out of the second floor of 614 East Delavan, a home where two smoke detectors were either disconnected or without a battery, a rookie Buffalo Police officer happened to smell the smoke and, along with two other officers, alerted the six people inside, including a twelve year old boy.

Officer Jared Domaracki of the Buffalo Police Department said, "They were already awake, didn't really know that the house was one fire."

Rescued Fire Victim, Christopher Jackson explained, "I saw smoke and then it was getting darker, and my dad was trying to get out the house but the smoke just started getting more intense."

His father, Reverend William Jackson is in critical condition.

Investigators believe he may have gone upstairs to assist two men with special needs the family has looked after for years.

Steve Sally and Jonah Mitchell did not survive.

Rev. Jackson is on life support, according to his wife Daisy.

"My husband's at ECMC and not breathing on his own. I lost the two boys that I keep," Daisy said.

Firefighters did all they could to bring everyone out alive, assisted by police officers and paramedics.

"Going up to that second floor, probably at the ceiling of that stairwell was probably in excess of a thousand degrees. Very, very heavy smoke conditions that caused nearly zero visibility," stated Buffalo Fire Commissioner, Michael Lombardo.

The probable cause is bedding too close to a an electric space heater.

The family's two pet dogs were safely evacuated.

The Reverend's brother Lonnie, and mother Amanda Jackson got out safely, along with 12 year old Christopher, who wanted this message to go out to the community.

"Pray for each other and stay strong," Christopher said.