MIAMI (WSVN) - MIAMI (WSVN) – Officials continue to investigate a Miami duplex fire that displaced several family members, Monday.
7Skyforce HD flew over the scene, just after 9 a.m., at 651 NW 3rd St. Heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the duplex, as Miami Fire Rescue worked to control the fire.
“We had several residents calling letting us know about this fire,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll. “We also heard screams coming from the windows of some of these units.”
Firefighters made sure no one was trapped, and all residents made it out alive. “We did determine that there were people trying to make sure that everybody was out,” said Carroll. “They were screaming for people who were trying to go in, and that’s where the confusion came in initially of someone being trapped inside.”
The flames gutted two units in the five-unit building. The three others suffered smoke damage.
No injuries have been reported, but one family said they lost two cats to the fire. A homeowner said, “I left around 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. last night. Everything was fine, and my son was gone, as well. My cats were the only ones home, and I just found out about them. My neighbor called me and said smoke was coming out and I came running over here.”
Fire rescue tried to perform CPR and resuscitate the pets but were not able to bring them back to life.
Eric Campos, whose home was destroyed, said he was shocked when he got the call Monday morning. “It started early in the morning,” said Campos. “My dad called me, and I couldn’t believe it.”
Campos took 7News inside to see the damage.
“Today we have a mess, a massive disaster over here,” he said.
His family now has to do what they can to pick up the pieces. “Unfortunately, those were my cats that I lost, but life is like that,” Campos said. “We can’t do nothing about it.”
Now, six adults and four children are without a place to live.
“For the last couple weeks, we’ve been hit with tragedies with the storms, and we have some people who are now going to be displaced from their home as a result of this fire,” said Carroll. “You have the Thanksgiving holidays that are coming up shortly, so very unfortunate.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Red Cross has said they will assist those who were displaced.
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