Cass County Family mourns loss of stepson and stepmother in house fire

CASS COUNTY, Mich. - Two people died leaving a family in shock this weekend after a house fire just outside of Edwardsburg, Michigan. The fire, still under investigation, took the lives of 37-year-old Brandon Cloud and his stepmother 69-year-old Pat Cloud. Sunday, their families were still digesting what all happened the day before. The fire, began at about 5:00 Saturday afternoon. Initially, the family tried to get the two victims out before firefighters arrived. Brandon and Pat did not survive. The family said the news was "devastating."

" You don't really have a specific thought at that moment, just panic, basically, and then try to get over here to figure out what you can do," said Riley Kass, a relative of both Pat and Brandon who was in the first group that initially tried to get them out.

"We were hoping for a while and praying for a while that they had made it, but we were all pretty devastated when we found out," Kass said.

"I can't go in the house," said Richard Cloud, Brandon's father and Pat's husband. "I can't look to see what the damage is."

The fire is still under investigation which is why Cloud cannot go into the house. The only photos he has access to of his son are of him as a child. The more recent ones and all those of his wife are still locked in the house. Cloud said he has no idea if they survived the fire.

Cloud said he is picking up the pieces all while trying not to think about the fact that his wife and son are gone.

"I can't dwell on the fact that she's not there or the boy's not there," Cloud said. "That's never coming back. So, you've got to discount that."

Cloud said the Michigan State Fire Marshall will be coming to the property on Monday to continue the investigation into what caused the fire. The family, meanwhile said thoughts and prayers are "very much appreciated."