TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Mark Denny said he's slowly recovering, wrapping his hands with bandages after a fire at his home left him with severe burns.
"I woke up and a good portion of the bed was on fire; the corner where the light was at was on fire," Denny said. "It's on fire right now. I don't know how else to describe it. I've never felt this kind of pain in my life."
Denny said he tried to put out the fire himself with water from the tub, trying to protect the house he built 30 years ago, but the flames spread quickly.
"I started running for what I thought was the door and I ran right into the wall, smashed my teeth, hit my head," he said.
That's when he burned his face and fell to the floor.
"I'm laying on the ground, the flames were shooting over top of me," Denny said.
Denny was finally able to find the door, get outside and run to his neighbor's house.
"My skin was dripping off like wax. I mean, it was just dripping," he said.
Denny was hurt so badly, he was airlifted to the hospital.
"I'm the kind of guy that don't give up, and to walk out of that house while it was on fire, it took everything I had. I felt defeated," Denny said.
Denny's partner has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the medical bills. Days later, he's now staying with friends and said he's lucky to be alive.
"On one side, I'm really blessed. On the other side, I had my butt kicked," Denny said.