3-year-old dies after early morning house fire on Detroit's west side

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The 3 -year-old girl fought all day Friday, but sadly didn't make it. She died from smoke inhalation, right in her mother's arms. 

"I have no feeling right now," said her mother Aris Pugh. "Honestly I don't." 

Three-year-old Autumn Brooks was trapped in what Detroit firefighters called a hellacious fire.  The blaze broke out Thursday morning for Aris Pugh, her husband, their four kids, and another child inside the duplex off Otsego Street on Detroit's west side.  

"I woke up to my son screaming, 'Mommy.' When I heard him scream 'Mommy' I got up, opened my door, and saw black smoke. I immediately rushed into the black smoke."

They were using space heaters. A blanket, that got too close, was likely the cause. 
 
They were able to get four of the children out of a first-story window. And Aris, at 9 months pregnant, climbed to safety too. But little Autumn, was still inside. 

"I just tried, I honestly blame myself when I shouldn't," Aris said.

She had been laying on the couch where the fire apparently started.

"Standing outside of the house fire, all I cared about was Autumn, she was the only thing on my mind," she said.

Autumn was in critical condition, fighting - but smoke had done too much damage and she died Friday. 

"I told her I need her and I love her," she said.

The other children were taken to the hospital, but will recover. Aris, who is expected to deliver her son any time now, is physically okay - mentally - not so much. 

"She was a blessing," Aris said. "Beautiful, smart and made everybody smile." 

The family are left with nothing with everything they owned lost in the fire. 

"My newborn baby stuff, IDs, everything. My son ran out without a shirt on his back or shoes on his feet," she said. 

Most important though, they lost Autumn. Aris says Autumn was so excited to be a big sister and she'd kiss her stomach every day.  

"All Autumn talked about was being a big sister, all she talked about was feeding her brother, changing her brother," she said. "So it really hurts." 

There is a fundraising page being set up for this family - if you want to help, go here to donate.