SHERBURNE – A Sherburne couple awoke at just after 3 a.m. Saturday as their bedroom filled with smoke and their home burned.

Jane Mondore, speaking for the family Monday, said her older brother Charles Wilcox and his wife Lisa were the only two occupants in the trailer and escaped through an emergency window.

As the fire continued to burn through nearly all their worldly possessions, Charles went back in with a garden hose in an attempt to save what he could.

When firemen arrived, they treated Lisa for minor smoke inhalation, but Charles Wilcox suffered more severe smoke related injuries and was taken to Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. Later Saturday, he was transferred to the intensive care unit at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, where he remained in stable condition as of Monday night, explained his sister.

Mondore also said doctors are optimistic that Charles, who is in his mid 70s, could be released as early as Tuesday evening.

“If they did not have working smoke alarms, this would have been much worse. They were asleep and awoke to alarms,” said Sherburne Fire Chief Patrick Lawrence, adding the fire quickly spread.

Lawrence said the couple ran from their residence and called 911 at around 3:20 a.m. The home was located just outside the Village of Sherburne at 1101 County Road 23, near the intersection of Rt. 80.