MIAMI (WSVN) - Fire rescue crews responded to a house fire in Miami that displaced an elderly couple.
The couple said they are thankful to be alive and are counting their blessings even though their house was burned down in the fire.
Miami Fire Rescue responded to the home, Monday, along Northwest 13th Avenue and 52nd Street at around 3:30 a.m.
Upon their arrival, officials said they found heavy smoke and flames coming from a front bedroom window. The elderly couple who lives in the home was safely evacuated along with their pets.
“We have two dogs and a cat, so everybody is fine now,” said homeowner Rebecca Tynes.
The couple told 7News that thankfully no one was in the room at the time of the fire. All they had in there were Christmas presents for their grandchildren.
“Everything I had for my grandchildren, but you know what, I thank God I’m still here. I’m gonna thank God for life,” Tynes said. “You know, that can be replaced but I’m just lucky to be here.”
The elderly couple said they were able to get out in time due to their smoke detectors, which woke them up. “Had that smoke detector not gone off, this could have had a tragic end,” said Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Ignatius Carroll.
Darlene Williams, who lives across the street from the couple said she couldn’t believe what she woke up to. “I just saw the red flames in the first bedroom,” she said. “They had to tear the door down to get in. I jumped up and ran out the door, and I was looking for my neighbor who lives there with her husband, and I saw her on the street. Then I was looking for him. Then I saw he came later, and that’s when she said her house caught on fire.”
Firefighters were able to quickly put out the blaze and contained it from spreading to neighboring homes within 15 minutes. However, a neighbor’s house was evacuated as a precaution due to heavy smoke in the area.
“We did the check the house out,” said Carroll. “We allowed those neighbors to go back in.”
The home sustained heavy damage, causing the couple to be displaced.
Officials said the fire was contained to the one room. However, the smoke damage and water damage spread throughout the home.
An investigation into what caused the fire is underway.
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