HOUSTON – Ten children rescued from a burning house in northeast Houston were transported to the hospital, according to the Houston Fire Department.
Late Monday afternoon, eight of the 10 children had been released from the hospital. Two children, according to their father, remained at Memorial Hermann Hospital for observation.
"They're going to be OK," said their father, Brian Robertson.
Brian and Tamika Robertson awoke to their children screaming.
"My kids were hollering, Mama, Daddy!" he said.
They jumped out of bed only to run into a cloud of smoke and orange flames roaring out of a bedroom from which four children were screaming for help.
"My wife ran in the room, grabbed the burning mattress up, lifted it up, so the four kids in there could escape," Robertson said.
Six more children needed help, trapped in another bedroom.
In all, 10 children were inside the house in the 6800 block of Bacher Street in northeast Houston when the fire broke out about 5:30 a.m. Monday.
Robertson knew he had to move quickly in order to save the six other children trapped inside. He said he prayed to get him through the house, but smoke and flames cut him short.
"By this time, I ran out the kitchen door, started breaking windows out, trying to get the smoke out (of) the way so I could see," he said.
Robertson said two children had already passed out because of smoke inhalation, including his 16-year-old daughter, Destiny. Robertson's 11-year-old daughter helped get to her.
"She was like 'Destiny, get up, get your sister. Daddy is trying to save us,'" he said.
Somehow, the Robertsons did save her, her six siblings and three cousins.
According to firefighters, all 10 children were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and first-degree burns.
First-degree burns are the least serious classification of burns.
Robertson's wife, Tamika, choked back tears and said she was thankful her children were alive.
"My God is good. That's all I could say," she said.
Robertson was covered in scratches because of the glass he shattered, but told KPRC 2 News he would do it again to save his children.
"I know it was only the grace of God that I was able to save them," he said.
Reports said the front entrance of the home had sustained significant damage from heavy flames and smoke.
According to HFD, the fire was under control by 6 a.m.
Arson crews visited the scene. Monday afternoon, the Houston Fire Department had not released the cause of the fire.
Robertson said that he believed a mattress in a front bedroom caught fire first, but he was not clear why.
"I'm not worried about the stuff. I can replace that. My kids, I could not replace. My wife, I could not replace. God us brought us too far to let us go now," he said.
The Robertson family is trying to raise money to fix their home and replace items destroyed by the fire. They've started a "Go Fund Me" campaign. Donate by clicking here.