FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A family of 10 has been left without a place to stay after their house in Fort Lauderdale went up in flames.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along the 1700 block of Northwest 10th Avenue, just after 7 p.m., Friday.
“The first crew made entry and right away were met with heavy fire, heavy smoke,” said FLFR Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Heiser
Homeowner Travis Baten told 7News he had left the house to run an errand, and that’s when his sister called him to to alert him.
“They called me and said, ‘Hey, the house is on fire, and my sister was saying she’s getting the kids out of the home,” he said. “At that time it was, including my niece, seven children in the house, plus my sister. I came back, and by then, the room was engulfed. On my way back, I called 911.”
Officials said firefighters had trouble reaching the fire.
“They had difficulty getting to the ceiling of the fire because there is a lot of storage in the house, which makes some doors unable to open,” said Heiser.
However, crews were eventually able to reach the room where the fire ignited. It took them about three hours to knock down the flames before they were able to spread further in the house.
Firefighters checked for hot spots to ensure the flames didn’t reach the attic.
FLFR officials have contacted the American Red Cross to help the three adults and seven children impacted by the fire.
No one was injured, and there were no pets inside the home.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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