STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) -- Authorities in Sterling Heights are investigating a house fire that left a man hospitalized.
The fire ignited early Thursday morning at the Sterling Estates mobile home park, located off 19 Mile and Van Dyke.
A 50-year-old man was taken to the hospital with burns to his hands. His step-son says he fell asleep while smoking a cigarette in bed.
Four other people who were in the mobile home, as well as the family's two dogs, were able to escape without injuries.
WWJ’s Charlie Langton reported live from the scene, and noted that various factors could have led to a much worse outcome in the situation.
The man was apparently on oxygen; the smoke alarm had no batteries; and, the man’s mobile home is not insured.
The official cause of the fire is still under investigation by Sterling Heights authorities.