KTKA

An elderly Topeka woman has her son-in-law to thank for assisting in her rescue.

64-year-old Josephine Brown was trapped in her house during a house fire Tuesday evening in the 300 block of Tyler Street west of Topeka.

Her son-in-law Kevin Howard was the first on the scene and said the front of the house was completely engulfed in flames, so he ran to the back of the house and smashed in a window with his fist.

He says he was unable to climb in window because of the heat and smoke, so he reached in with his arm but got burned.

Shortly after, Cpl. Chris Sturgeon and Officer Trent Ginn of the Topeka Police Department arrived and were able to rescue the woman from the fire.

Howard says watching those two officers risk their lives for a complete stranger was truly inspirational.

"I want [the officers] to know, that if I was a little kid and seen something like this I would like to become a police officer," Howard said.

Howard said certain family members accused him and his wife Adee of not taking proper care of the elderly lady.

"I just think that it's really sad when you have family members saying things about a woman that dedicates herself to her mother like this woman does," Howard said. "I just think its a sad day."

The victim had a stroke a couple years ago and since then has not been able to take care of herself. Howard and his wife live right across the street and visit daily to make sure Brown has everything she needs.

He says he's grateful his mother-in-law is ok, but disappointed at the harsh comments from his own family.

Brown remains hospitalized at KU Medical Center's burn unit in Kansas City. Howard says she is stable and has been taken off the respirator and is breathing on her own.