CHARLOTTE, Mich. — A Michigan man died Friday, days after he sustained burns across most of his body while saving his 4-year-old daughter from a house fire, according to multiple reports.
Firefighters said they responded to reports of an explosion at a home in Charlotte around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Jeremy Droscha was home alone with his daughter, Aubrey, when a propane tank exploded, blowing up part of his family’s home and sparking a fire, WLNS-TV reported.
“He literally ran up burning stairs, grabbed his baby out of her bedroom, wrapped her up, I’m assuming, and got her out,” Droscha’s sister-in-law, Rachel Cromwell, told the news station. “She has one minor scratch on her, and the back of her head is a little singed, and that’s it. She’s completely fine because he ran up there and saved her life.”
In a GoFundMe campaign launched for the Droscha family, relatives said he suffered second- and third-degree burns over 60% of his body. He was hospitalized in intensive care and underwent surgery following the incident.
He died Friday of his injuries, WLNS and WSYM-TV reported.
Droscha was a farmer and a realtor, family members told WSYM. His cousin, Adam Droscha, described him and his family as “very active in the Charlotte … (and) farming community.”
“He’s been a farmer his entire life,” Adam Droscha told the news station, calling his cousin “tough as nails.”
Jeremy Droscha served on the board for the Eaton County Fair for several years. Officials with the fairgrounds said in statement posted online Saturday that he was “a big asset to our board, but more importantly, a great friend to all of us.”
“Our entire Fair family is left rattled by this sudden loss,” the statement read.
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Jeremy Droscha due to injuries sustained in a house fire. Jeremy...
Posted by Eaton County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 5, 2022
Jeremy Droscha is survived by his wife, Jessica, and their three children, according to WLNS and WSYM.
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