A father has been termed a hero after he ran into a burning house to rescue his twin daughters. Ray Lucas, 23, and his girlfriend Shi’Ann Brown came back from a trip to the shops to buy milk to find their home in Eastpointe, Michigan, USA, engulfed in flames.

Ray’s mother had been watching the girls and was in the front garden panicking and trying to get help. Their twin daughters Malaysia and Milan, who are 18 months old, were trapped in the basement in their crib as the flames spread through the three floors.

Mr Lucas was not sure firefighters would arrive in time, so he dashed into the burning building to save his children. “I was speechless. Action took over me. I ran into the house to get my babies,” Lucas, 23, told CNN. “I’m looking at it as a father. I did anything that any other father would do or should do,” he said.

The fire on July 17 was spreading through three floors inside, including the basement where Malaysia and Milan were in their crib, Lucas said. He wasn’t sure the fire department would get there in time.

He plunged into the burning building, quickly discovering that he couldn’t see anything due to the flames. But he knew his way around and headed to the basement. He reached the crib and made physical contact with his daughters, “I was so happy they were responsive,” he said.