MIAMI – An early morning house fire has left four people homeless and led to the evacuations of two nearby apartment buildings in Miami.
Miami firefighters were dispatched to a house fire at 1730 NW 16th St. just after 2 a.m. Thursday.
Capt. Ignatius Carroll said four adults were sleeping when the fire started and someone who lives in the home heard an explosion. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames and smoke coming from behind the house and saw several people running out.
Firefighters had to maneuver past burning cars to get to the house.
Carroll said Florida Power & Light had to shut off electricity to the block to prevent firefighters from getting electrocuted or causing any additional fires. Some power lines were sparking during the firefight.
Firefighters searched and were able to rescue the family dog, but other family pets like birds and a snake didn't make it out.
As a precaution, two nearby apartment buildings were evacuated.
"After about an hour of battling this blaze, we were able to bring this fire under control, but because of the type of roof construction, you had fire that was hidden areas that made it very difficult for firefighters to reach," Carroll said. "This house is also situated in an area where it is very difficult to reach it from the rear of the house because of the apartment buildings, as well as a lot that has several school buses inside of it."
Jose Guerrero and his family are now sifting through what they called home just Wednesday night.
"I hope I can get myself back on track again," he said.
"I'm homeless," his brother, Carlos Castellon, said. "I don't have nowhere to go."
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
"At the end of it all, I feel happy because my dog is safe, my wife is safe, and if she wouldn't have woken up, we would've been dead," Guerrero said.
The Red Cross is helping the family find shelter. Hollybrook Apartments has since reached out to Local 10 News, offering the family a two-bedroom apartment for as long as they need it.