ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A family lost their home after their duplex caught fire Sunday morning on Balboa Drive in Orange County.
The fire also resulted in the deaths of four dogs, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
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Multiple units were dispatched to the 7300 block of Balboa Drive that morning, arriving to find one side of the duplex “fully involved” and the other seen to have flames reaching into the attic, with smoke and fire showing throughout the structure, OCFR said in a statement on Twitter.
The fire was out by 9 a.m., according to the tweet. OCFR reported no injuries or medical transports.
The grandmother who lives inside with her family is asking for privacy, but told News 6 she and her four grandkids thankfully made it out safely.
She said she’s forever grateful for her neighbors who rushed over and helped save their lives.
“There was smoke coming out of the corner, like on the back porch,” said neighbor Barbra Kiley, who helped the family.
“I’m not going to stand by and watch. They’re like family to me, all of them,” she said. “I ran over there, rang the doorbell, screamed, yelled ‘Get up, get up, get up,’ and by the time I made it back to my porch, the whole back porch was engulfed in flames.”
Keema Jackson said she wanted to make sure the family inside was okay, too.
“In my mind all I could say was ‘Jesus, help these people,’” Jackson said. “I immediately went outside and saw flames and immediately tried to run and help.”
Investigators said at this point the cause of fire is still under investigation, adding it’s a sad reminder to make sure all of us have working smoke detectors
“Any kind of fire, we always tell people to have a working smoke detector because that’s early indication to get people out quickly, so that’s our big message here,” Battalion Chief Brian Brink said.
Neighbors said they are working to get results and support this family during this tough time.
#ResidentialFire 7300 block of Balboa Dr. Units dispatched to fire at a residential duplex with heavy fire/smoke showing. 1 side fully involved, the other side had extension into attic. Fire is now out. 4 dogs unfortunately have passed. No injuries nor transports.
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) January 8, 2023
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