A family escaped a fire at a Miami duplex Tuesday morning after an 11-year-old boy alerted his parents to the blaze.

The fire broke out just after 2:15 a.m. at a duplex at 3110 NW 22nd Court.

Miami fire officials said Alex Giutta and his siblings, ages 6, 8 and 13, were sleeping when the air conditioner in their room caught fire.

The children's mother, Carla Velasquez, told officials that Alex's mattress caught fire, filling the room with smoke. Fire officials said Alex started screaming, waking up his parents.

The couple got all four children out of the house safely, and then Velasquez helped an elderly woman and her daughter out of the other unit in the building.

The father brought the mattress out of the house, but Lt. Ignatius Carroll, of Miami Fire Rescue, said a wall was already burning.

Paramedics evaluated three adults and four children, treating them at the scene.

Velasquez said she was begging Alex to go to sleep Monday night, but he wouldn't. Now, she is thankful.

"I told him twice to go to sleep. He was awake," Velasquez told Local 10's Neki Mohan . "Thank God he was awake. We might be dead by this time. He saved my life and everybody from the house."

Despite efforts to save the home and what was inside, it was a total loss.

Carroll said that while fire officials commended the father's attempt to extinguish the fire, they recommend that people get everyone out of a burning home first, then call 911.

Miami Fire Rescue said investigators are looking into the cause of the fire, which they believe started because of an electrical problem.

Velasquez is keeping the situation in perspective.

"I'm devastated. I bought uniforms for the kids, everything -- my clothes from work, my uniform is gone. I am happy nothing worse happened to my family," Velasquez said.

The American Red Cross will help the family. Anyone interested in helping the family should contact the Red Cross.