DUMONT, Colo. -- Three families were displaced and a man was critically burned Thanksgiving morning after a massive fire destroyed three homes in Dumont in Clear Creek County.

The fire started around 4:30 a.m. and quickly spread to the other two homes on Fox Fire Trail by a strong western wind, said Major Rick Albers of the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.

Pam and Fred Nelson saw their friend and neighbor, Richard Jeske, run out of his house in flames.

"I (saw) Richard coming out. He was on fire," said Pam Nelson. She said his skin was falling off of his body and nearly all of his clothes had burned off of him. All he had on was the top of a sweatshirt and the tops of his socks when he staggered around in the snow.

Pam said she instantly reacted, and relied on her training as a firefighter from years ago to smother him with snow.

"I put him out, ran to the back window where I know their bedroom's at and was beating on the window to try to get Linda out," Pam said.

She couldn't break the glass so her husband, Fred, broke the window with his bare fists and pulled Richard's wife, Linda Jeske, out from the burning bedroom.

Richard Jeske was airlifted to University Hospital in Aurora, where he was listed in critical condition. University Hospital has the only adult burn unit in the state of Colorado certified by the American Burn Association.

"He ... Richard... was saying, 'Forty years here and we've lost everything,'" Pam said. He then passed out, she said.

Friends are hoping he makes it.

"He's a great guy. Had a parts store, sold that, started driving big-rig trucks," said Chris Potter. "Being the Thanksgiving weekend, I would think the kids would be here or they were coming. So ... surprise!"

Linda Jeske was not seriously hurt.

The Nelsons do not consider themselves heroes, but firefighters said they definitely saved the Jeskes' lives.

"I just did what I needed to do for my neighbors," Pam Nelson said. "They're almost like family. Good, good people."

Neighbors told 7NEWS they heard several explosions while firefighters from several agencies worked to stop the blaze.

"We have three structures, I believe most of them are going to be older, log-cabin type, so they went up very, very quickly, and outbuildings. I think most of the explosions reported would be from aerosol cans, gas cans," said Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Jrueger.

Four vehicles and two campers were also severely damaged.

A wildland crew was dispatched to the nearby forest to make sure the fire did not spread.

The sheriff's department is working to find shelter for the three families who have been displaced. The names of the two other families have not been disclosed but they include three adults and a 13-year-old.

There is no word yet on what caused the fire, which started inside the Jeske home. Powerful winds pushed the flames at least 50 feet up the hill to another home, firefighters said.

Several other fire agencies from Gilpin County and Evergreen assisted the Clear Creek Fire Authority in putting out the blaze. At least 50 firefighters worked on the fire, some of whom will be remaining in the area throughout the day to make sure all hot spots have been extinguished.

Dumont is along Interstate 70 between Idaho Springs and Georgetown.