MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miramar house that fire rescue crews said was occupied caught fire, Friday morning, sending one man to the hospital.
7Skyforce HD flew over the house, located near the corner of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road, while white smoke engulfed the entire residence. “The call came out at about 7:30 this morning,” said Miramar Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Scott Pratt. “We responded, multiple units to the call. We had a large room fire, which extended into several other parts of the house.”
Family members said there was one man inside the house when the fire began. He was upstairs and sleeping, but he heard the fire alarm and was able to make it out on his own.
“We made contact with the occupants of the home. They advised that there was no one in the house, which is always a good thing,” said Pratt, “so we then started hose lines in the front door.”
According to Pratt, Pembroke Pines and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue units were also called to the scene. “The initial challenges that we always face. We had a pretty good distance from where our trucks were at from the house,” he said. “It’s a tough trek to bring all our equipment over there.”
Officials said this is a large structure and there was a lot of smoke, which required a considerable amount of manpower to extinguish. “When it starts to get thick and black, it’s not able to ventilate,” said Pratt. “There’s a thing called flashover, where all the contents inside can reach the ignition point and flash over, basically setting everything in the house on fire.”
Crews quickly went in to ventilate the home, pulling down ceilings to make sure the fire had not gone there. Meanwhile, 7News cameras captured loved ones embracing the homeowners as they watched their belongings burn.
According to other family members, the married couple who lived in the house has been there for about 16 years. The husband suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital. He is expected to be OK.
According to officials, no firefighters were injured.
An investigation has begun to figure out the cause of the fire, although family members believe the fire started somewhere on the first floor.
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