Student Who Was Pronounced Dead After College Fire Reclaims Life, Starts Fire Safety Nonprofit

'Life is not something that we can control, it is something that we must cherish.'

Zachary Sutterfield, 23, of San Angelo, Texas, survived third-degree burns over 68 percent of his body in the campus fire. Courtesy of Deona Jo Sutterfield

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS IMAGES THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTURBING.

A college student who survived a campus fire that killed five is learning to live as a burn survivor. After 32 surgeries, he insists on seeing the beauty in life and has started a fire safety nonprofit called “Brighter Than the Fire“ to help others avoid preventable tragedies.