FLORIDA CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - - An early morning fire in Florida City has left a family of nine and their pets displaced and claimed the lives of two of their dogs.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along the 800 block of Northwest 12th Street, just after 7:30 a.m., Thursday.
“Occupied house burning. Complainant is advising children are trapped inside the house,” a 911 dispatcher told first responders.
Cellphone video captured firefighters outside the burning home as heavy smoke billowed into the air.
Patricia Frey and Justin Roberson, who live inside the home with their six children and Frey’s mother, shared their account of the fire, hours later.
“It just doesn’t seem real,” said Frey, who is expecting her seventh child.
“I heard it from the living room, and then two of my kids sleeping with their grandmother, one of my kids came out and said it’s a fire,” he said.
Inside the home were the couple’s children, ranging from a 1-year-old to 14 years of age.
Roberson said he believes the fire started in his mother-in-law’s bedroom after a malfunction with her oxygen tank. Inside her room were two of the children.
“I ran in and looked at it and noticed it was small, so I ran to grab the mop bucket, tried to fill it up at least halfway, but by the time I got back, all of a sudden, it was out of control,” he said.
Roberson said he raced through the home in an attempt to get everyone out, including his pregnant wife.
“My first instinct was to grab my mother-in-law because she has COPD, and then grab the rest of the children,” he said.
Frey said they had to break windows in order for them to escape safely.
“We busted the bedroom window where our 3-year-old was and snatched her out of the bed,” she said.
By the time firefighters arrived, the family was safely out of the burning building.
Frey’s mother was taken to an area hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Six puppies in a crate were also inside the house. They would survive the fire, along with two cats, but two other dogs inside the home did not survive.
“My dogs can’t be replaced, but they’ll always be remembered,” said Frey, “but honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to go on if anything would have happened to my kids or my mom.”
“Basically, now we’re in a rough spot,” said Roberson.
This family now only has their car after the fiery incident.
“It’s painful, bro,” said Roberson as he looked away from the camera.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross arrived to help the family, along with Miami-Dade Animal Services to figure out where the pets could reside.
“They gave us the ability to get a room, but as far as long-term housing, I don’t know what we’re going to do,” said Frey as she fought back tears.
MDFR said 10 fire units responded to the home to extinguish the flames.
Wednesday afternoon, 7News cameras captured the house’s front door and window boarded up with plywood.
The condition of Frey’s mother is still unknown.
As for the puppies, a family member said he would take them home for the time being.
If you’d like to help Frey and her family during this challenging time, click here.
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