The Brief
- A fire destroyed the Ellenton home of a 78-year-old couple early Saturday morning.
- Mike and Lang Ebright managed to escape the flames with minor injuries.
- Firefighters recovered a burial flag and portrait of their grandson — a U.S. Marine who died in active duty — from the rubble.
ELLENTON, Fla. – A retired veteran and his wife — both 78 years old — narrowly escaped their burning Ellenton home Saturday morning after waking up to the sound of crackling flames.
Escaping the flames
What we know:
Mike and Lang Ebright were sleeping in their house around 4 a.m. Saturday when Mike heard crackling noises.
“He got up to check it out, and he saw flames everywhere,” the couple’s granddaughter, Sierra Cordova, told FOX 13.
The couple tried to leave through the front door but found their path blocked by fire. Mike managed to guide Lang, who uses a walker, to a different exit and down a set of stairs to safety. …