In his final moments , 8-year-old Tyler Doohan managed to rescue six people -- including two younger children -- from a burning mobile home in upstate New York , authorities said . A last-ditch effort , however , to save his disabled grandfather cost the boy his life . His body was found next to his grandfather , whom Tyler considered a best friend . `` It makes me really proud , it really does , but I just want him back , '' Tyler 's mother , Crystal Vrooman , told CNN affiliate WHAM . Tyler , an East Rochester resident , was staying at the home of relatives in the nearby town of Penfield on Sunday night when he noticed a fire in the single-wide trailer , said Penfield Fire Chief Chris Ebmeyer . As firefighters and sheriff 's deputies responded to 4:45 a.m. emergency call , Tyler was able to wake six other people in the small trailer , including two more children , ages 4 and 6 , the fire chief said . Then Tyler went back into the blaze to help his grandfather , who was disabled and would have been unable to get out of the home on his own , Ebmeyer said . `` By that time , the fire had traveled to the back of the trailer , '' said Ebmeyer . `` Unfortunately they both succumbed to heat and smoke . '' The pair were found together on a bed in the back room . It appeared that the boy was trying to lift his grandfather from the bed when he was overcome by the smoke and fire , the fire chief said . Tyler and his grandfather were like best friends , Vrooman said . An online fundraising campaign on YouCaring.com had raised more than $ 28,000 as of Wednesday for Tyler 's funeral and his family . Another relative was found dead in a front room , although his exact relation to Tyler was not clear . Earlier , fire officials had released a mistaken version of the incident , where the grandfather 's and uncle 's locations were switched , due to incorrect information provided by a family member . Tyler 's mother said the boy broke away from his aunt outside the burning trailer and ran back inside to try to save his grandfather . `` All I could think about is how he could n't breathe , '' Vrooman told WHAM . She added : `` I 'm just so grateful that he went with people that he loved . He did n't go alone . '' The cause of the blaze is still under investigation but believed to be accidental . The conditions of the six survivors were not immediately available . Ebmeyer said the trailer had no working smoke detector . He said that with so many people in one small mobile home , one alarm could have easily woken everyone in time to escape . There was at least one space heater inside the trailer , the fire chief said . Several pets -- including dogs , cats , a rabbit and hamsters -- also died in the fire , Ebmeyer said . The Penfield Fire Company -- a volunteer unit -- intends to create a public service initiative to spread awareness and get smoke detectors out to the public , he said . Meanwhile , Richard Stutzman Jr. , interim superintendent of the East Rochester School District , where Tyler attended fourth grade , issued a statement : . `` In bravely and selflessly giving his own life , he was able to save the lives of six others -- and he truly is a hero . '' Teen dies stopping suicide bomber at school .
Tyler Doohan , 8 , alerts relatives to an early - morning fire , and 6 die . He returns to the mobile home to help his disabled grandfather but fails in effort . The single - wide vehicle had no working smoke detector , the chief says .